Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 1940 1410: From Rivers to Oceans, from Korea to the Ming Dynasty…

"Hachiman Mahasattva! Uncle, are you saying that the golden currency of great merchants will not be easily traded? It's a guarantee of reputation used to conduct trade ten times the value of gold?""That's right! It can be understood this way!... In the trade within the Capital City, there are expensive goods from various regions. The weaponry and tea sets from Sakai Port, the ceramics and seafood from Hakata, the Japanese paper and swords from Echizen, the hemp cloth and tea from Omi, the Kyoto ceramics and silk from Mountain city, the warhorses from Owari and Akita, the lacquerware from Kaga and Noto, and even the silk porcelain from the Ming Dynasty... The more valuable the products, the harder it is to trade them through bartering! Sometimes settlements take years..."

"In such cases, sufficient golden currency is needed to guarantee the circulation of trade among the great merchants from various regions. And intermediaries who can provide ample currency naturally become welcomed in the trading groups everywhere and get a share of the profits!"

"In fact, gold, silver, and copper coins, no matter the type of currency, all represent the reputation and strength of a great merchant! But gold is the most valuable... Similarly, trading groups from different regions will only choose to trade with wealthy merchants with ample currency, not with small traders who can't come up with money and can only barter. Because this way, the trade risks are minimized, and even reducing profits by a tenth or two is acceptable. A stable and reliable trading partner, once established, often lasts for a generation without change!"

The great merchant Mori no Kiyoshi smiled slightly, explaining the ways of interaction among great merchants. For the Japanese in this era, they possessed the most prominent characteristics of the Han Culture Circle, which greatly valued "human channels" and remained skeptical of "agreements on paper."

This habit is entirely different from that of the European world. Reflected in commerce, it translates into a unique focus on "recognizing people," where certain commercial channels, once established, become highly exclusive, rarely giving newcomers a chance to enter...

"Mitsuhiro, on the battlefield of merchants, gold is not only your reputation in the eyes of others, it is the guarantee for circulating more trade, and it is also the most important ticket! This precious 'ticket' is not only useful among merchants, but also effective as a gift for forming connections with noble families, influential monk officials, and powerful martial families! Offering gold is seen as 'elegant' no matter the noble recipient, whereas gifting other special products might cause offense..."

"Especially when trading with Ming Country merchants, particularly in those highly profitable and risky private trades... those sea lords who are both merchants and pirates do not value our other goods much. No matter how exquisite the folding fans, outstanding the daggers, or solid the lacquerware, the quantities they accept are limited... But they are particularly fond of gold and silver, the more, the better! Gold and silver are the best currencies for sea trade, especially gold! The gentlemen behind those sea lords in the Ming Dynasty seem to highly value golden items crafted from gold, even bringing them into their tombs after death..."

Mori no Kiyoshi, with a wistful expression, spoke of the richly lucrative Ming Dynasty sea trade, still lingering in thought. After all, any Ming Dynasty goods transported to Japan, even just Ming Dynasty copper coins, could bring about several times the profit! And various precious Ming Dynasty instruments were the most coveted gifts for Japanese nobles!

Yet now, the Shogunate is experiencing continuous major changes, and the nobles behind him are gradually losing their influence amid rounds of unexpected upheaval. He has almost lost hope of obtaining the license for "validated trade." Without the safe "validated trade," he can only explore the high-risk private trade routes. Those channels with Western Country Daimyos...

"So, Mitsuhiro, a gold talisman in your hands is only worth its original value. But in the hands of a great merchant, it is the guarantee for intermediary trade, the knock on the door to noble connections, and the entry ticket into trading groups everywhere. And if it can leave Japan, it is one of the only two hard currencies that can communicate with Ming Country sea lords!"

"Buddha's Golden Body! The gold obtained from the Ezo land can, through our hands, flow to Kyoto Courtiers, Sakai Port merchants, Western Country Samurai, and Ming Country sea lords, eventually reaching the aristocratic families of the Ming Dynasty! And the route it passes through is truly the Golden Route, the ship of treasures laden with wealth and fortune of the Seven Fortune Gods!"

"Do you understand, Mitsuhiro? This is why your father, Lord Nobuhiro, said the Shandan's gold trade 'involves too much'... It's not just the immense wealth of gold, but also the infinite greed and possibilities it can bring!"

At this point, the great merchant Mori no Kiyoshi reached out and patted Kaozaki Mitsuhiro's shoulder once again. Kaozaki Mitsuhiro, touching his chin, had a vacant look in his eyes, obviously deep in thought. This "knowledge of gold," indeed, was somewhat beyond the comprehension of a Samurai Family head who grew up in the remote Ezo land...

"Buddha's Blessing!..."

Seeing his "nephew's" expression, Mori no Kiyoshi pursed his lips and swallowed his last words, refraining from speaking further.

In truth, he knew that given Takeda Nobuhiro's nature, if he were still healthy and alive, he would likely keep the Shandan's gold trade within the controllable scope of the Kaozaki Family and hide it deeply... In such a case, Mori no Kiyoshi, even as Takeda Nobuhiro's old friend, would have no chance of being involved! But the gap between Mitsuhiro and Lord Nobuhiro, even Lord Nobuhiro himself was well aware. This led him to promise, before his death, and pull him in...

"Lord Nobuhiro! This Shandan trade is so deep... Mitsuhiro is too young, he can't sail the ship. And although I have more experience and can barely navigate the seas, who knows what lurks behind those waves?"

"These Shandan people who suddenly emerged, these 'Golden Clans,' what exactly are they after? Could it be that they are truly remnants of the Yuan Invasion, trying to gather craftsmen and population to re-establish a nation in the north? Or perhaps they ultimately intend to head west, to join the 'Great Yuan Great Khan' on the steppe with their growing tribes?"

Mori no Kiyoshi couldn't make sense of it; he knew too little. Therefore, he had to personally take action! To see this so-called 'Shandan Golden Tribe' and actually participate in a 'golden trade.' Only then could he assess the risks, scale, and potential of this trade, and ultimately determine how much he should invest!

If these Shandan tribes truly have, as they claim, an ample reserve of gold and are willing to exchange five gold talismans and five pounds of gold for a "Great Craftsman," with no upper limit... then he could truly exert great effort and thought, leveraging his connections with nobles, and colluding with those coarse Western Country Daimyos.

If it could bring back a large quantity of gold, with five to ten times the return... he believes those impoverished Daimyos would certainly be willing to trade the lives of some lower-class Samurai on the expansive Korean shores to gain the wealth needed to sustain the entire clan!

"Hmm... the great merchants of the Western Country, the martial families behind those great merchants... speaking of which, Watanabe Masumi's background, his brother actually managed to piece together the fragmented Ryuzoji Clan bit by bit... He truly is an impressive figure with an excellent disposition!… It's just unfortunate about my Ocean Shielding Ship, and the Watanabe Masumi aboard... truly unfortunate, such a pity!"

Thinking about that dispatched Ocean Shielding Ship, which only successfully sailed for a year before disappearing without a trace in the far north trade the following year... Mori no Kiyoshi developed some apprehension about long-distance trade. While the loss wasn't crippling, it did leave him somewhat disgraced. The promises he made to bring back treasures for the nobles ended up being barely fulfilled.

After all, Mori no Kiyoshi didn't have a strong backing willing to cover his losses at any cost. Japan also lacked Europe's mature marine insurance industry, where trading groups could share the risks. Ultimately, although the Japanese lived on an island, they were still truly a continental people at that time, lacking the drive for maritime exploration and trade, as well as the technology for shipbuilding and maritime navigation positioning...

"House Leader! House Leader!... News from the Capital City!"

"Hmm? Zou Jirou, what's the matter?..."

Upon hearing the call, Mori no Kiyoshi looked up to see the usually composed Headman, Matsushita Zou Jirou, surprisingly running down from the ship. He struggled to maintain his composure while his fingers trembled as he handed a letter to the "House Leader" Mori no Kiyoshi. Mori no Kiyoshi only read a few lines before his expression changed dramatically, his emotions fluctuating intensely.

"Buddha! This shocking upheaval has drawn in the General, the regent, and the guardian Daimyos... and in the end, it truly made him the most powerful noble?! If I recall correctly, he's only 29 years old this year?! Truly incredible!..."