novelhk Page 2453
Page 2453
Historically, Japan recirculated copper coins on a large scale.
It was after the founding of the Southern Song Dynasty and the opening of the seas by the Kamakura Shogunate.
Song Dynasty coins quickly dominated the Japanese market.
Even throughout the Yuan Dynasty,
Japan still uses Song Dynasty coins as its primary currency.
The area around Iwami Castle,
Strange things soon began to happen.
Local powerful families viewed foreign invaders as benefactors.
They brought various local specialties from their territory.
They were transported to the castle town for sale in a great hurry.
They even opened more than twenty brothels.
It was full of country girls.
The powerful clans favored Ming Dynasty copper coins.
This sets an example.
Small vendors and farmers also turned to copper coins.
Even some mountain dwellers, upon hearing the rumors,
I mustered my courage and came to the castle town.
They only sell wild game and furs.
Zhao Xiaozhong took the opportunity to bribe the mountain people.
They promised their future prey.
They can be delivered to the city for sale at any time.
If troops pass by nearby
Mountain dwellers can also come to the capital.
As long as reliable information is provided,
They immediately rewarded him with copper coins.
The surrounding mountains and forests stretch for dozens of miles.
Zhao Xiaozhong's spies are everywhere!
……
On the other hand, things were dragging on in Heian-kyo.
Taira no Tadamori, as the Emperor Emeritus's special envoy,
More than two months later,
We finally arrived at Iwami Castle.
This guy is twenty miles away.
He was discovered by a hunter.
Zhao Xiaozhong received the news that evening.
And, one after another, mountain villagers came to report the news.
There were as many as thirty or forty people.
The main goal is to sell out the country in a saturated manner.
The first messenger,
Zhao Xiaozhong rewarded him with three hundred coins.
The other messengers,
They all received between twenty and eighty coins.
And they were told the reason for this reward.
They claimed that if he ran faster next time, he would be rewarded more.
Taira no Tadamori did not come directly to the capital.
Instead, they went to the home of the powerful Yoshiga clan.
Jihe Qiancheng led his clansmen to welcome them.
They also hosted a banquet to entertain him.
After the banquet, all irrelevant people were dismissed.
Taira no Tadamori asked, "Do you know why the Ming Dynasty sent troops?"
Yoshika Kensei replied, "I heard it was a few years ago when the French Emperor was still alive."
"They attacked Ming Dynasty merchant ships."
"Is the merchant ship leader a Taoist named Xue Daoguang?"
Taira no Tadamori immediately realized what was happening.
How did you know?
Yoshika Kensei was very surprised.
Taira no Tadamori was somewhat embarrassed.
Emperor Shirakawa feared that the region would spiral out of control.
No foreign merchant ships are allowed.
Transactions were conducted at ports outside of Heian-kyo (Kyoto).
Furthermore, troops were dispatched multiple times to combat pirates.
This also includes cracking down on illegal foreign merchant ships.
And every time they fight "pirates"
The generals in charge of the troops were all Taira no Tadamori.
After all, he was Emperor Shirakawa's trusted and beloved general.
Taira no Tadamori pondered carefully and asked in confusion:
"That Xue Daoguang seems to claim to be an envoy of the Song emperor,"
"There was no Ming Dynasty at that time."
Jihe Qiancheng said, "The Ming emperor was a good friend of Xue Daoguang before the founding of the country."
"I heard that after the Ming Dynasty was established, Xue Daoguang became the emperor's personal Yin-Yang master."
"He was attacked a few years ago,"
"They will most likely encourage the Ming emperor to send troops."
"Ah, that makes sense now,"
Taira no Tadamori sighed and asked again,
"How did you know this information?"
Chapter 3217 The Japanese Pirates' Unchangeable Bad Habits
Yoshikazu Kensei said, "Those Ming soldiers often hang out in the town below the castle."
"When he's drunk, he'll say anything."
"I was trying to gather information,"
"Just send someone to infiltrate the shops,"
"Specifically question the drunk soldiers."
Pingzhong praised, "You are very smart."
Of course, Yoshihiro Kensei would not admit it.
He has recently been sending people to sell goods in the castle town.
They took the opportunity to make a lot of money from the Ming soldiers.
He certainly wouldn't tell Taira no Tadamori.
The Ming army came looking for silver mines.
Because if the Emperor's army drives the Ming army away...
Local wealthy families can partner together to mine silver.
This matter must absolutely not be known to the imperial court.
The longer you hide it, the better!
Taira no Tadamori then asked, "How many men are there in the Ming army?"
Jihe Kensei said, "Two or three thousand armored soldiers."
Taira no Tadamori stayed at the Yoshiga family's house.
He sent trusted confidants disguised as commoners.
Head to the castle town of Iwami Province to investigate.
Several days later, the trusted samurai returned and gave a detailed report:
“Ming soldiers are really rich; they go out of the city to buy things every day.”
"They went to pubs to drink and to eat at restaurants,"
"When you go to a brothel to find a woman, you have to use the best copper coins."
“There were even hunters from the mountains,”
“You can also exchange wild animal pelts for copper coins.”
Taira no Tadamori said unhappily, "Is that all you've found out?"
The trusted warrior said, "These are the leaders of the Ming army,"
"One was named Xue Daoguang,"
"He was the imperial Yin-Yang master of the Ming Dynasty emperor."
"The other one is named Zhao Xiaozhong, who is the adopted son of the Ming emperor."
"The former emperor of the Song Dynasty, the current emperor of the Ming Dynasty,"
"Everyone wants to go out to sea to find immortals and obtain the elixir of immortality."
"They call Japan Fusang,"
"They say immortals dwell here,"
"They also say that there are hermits in Mount Omori in Iwami Province."
Taira no Tadamori felt this was a bit of a stretch:
"They captured Iwami Castle in search of immortality?"
The trusted warrior said, "That's what all the Ming soldiers who went out of the city to drink said."
"Moreover, they brought a lot of treasure,"
"They were all gifts from the Ming Dynasty's royal family."
"I heard there are eleven ships in the harbor,"
"Half of it was filled with grain,"