Outside of Kyushu Island, the Amakusa Islands south of Nagasaki and north of Kagoshima became the base of Japan's foreign trade smuggling, just like the Shuangyu Port in the Ming Dynasty.The Tokugawa shogunate issued a decree to close the country in order to restrict the appearance of foreign daimyo and gain profits from overseas trade, thereby increasing its power.Of course, this lockdown decree was not to close Japan, but to restrict foreign daimyo from conducting maritime trade, forcing all merchants to trade in the shogunate-controlled port of Nagasaki, so as to collect high tariffs.Nowadays, the Ming Dynasty has developed commerce, the goods are of high quality and low price, and there are almost no competitors in the Japanese market, and a large number of Ming Dynasty goods have poured into the market, and with it, a large outflow of silver.At present, in Japan's foreign trade, there are only a few goods such as Japanese knives, folding fans, lacquerware, etc., and the output is not too high.As a result, in the trade between the Ming Dynasty and Japan, Japan had a serious trade deficit, which was extremely unfavorable to the domestic economy, and there was a shortage of money.In this regard, the Tokugawa shogunate could only continue to increase the tariffs on Ming Dynasty goods, hoping to reverse the deficit, and the high tariffs caused many Ming Dynasty merchant ships to no longer sail to Nagasaki, but to the islands off the coast of Japan, colluding with foreign daimyo to carry out smuggling trade.The Amakusa Islands were an important base for smuggling between Ming Dynasty and Japanese merchants.In this regard, the Tokugawa shogunate has always protested, but considering that the scale of trade is not too large after all, and at the same time it does not want to offend the Ming Dynasty, so it also turns a blind eye, hoping to seek negotiations to solve the problem of smuggling.At this time, at the southern end of the Amakusa Islands, in a bay, a group of Japanese people stood on the shore."
Tagawa-kun, why hasn't the cargo ship come here yet?"
Shimazu asked, looking at the dark sea.Tagawa Nanazaemon picked up the torch and drew a circle in the air, and in the distance, a ship appeared in the sea."
It's coming!"
Tanakawa Nanazaemon smiled.When Shimazu Hisao saw the sea boat, his face showed joy, and he hurriedly waved people to greet him.The samurai and civilians of the Tsu family of the Ischichi Sailing River drove small boats and dangled oars to meet them.The beach around the island is shallow, and the big boats can't get up, so they need small boats to come up to pick up the goods.Shimazu Hisao saw the small boat approaching and receiving boxes of goods from the big ship, and his face was full of smiles: "Tian Chuanjun, the silk and porcelain in the south of the Yangtze River, we will collect as much as your Zheng family comes." ”Tagawa Nanazaemon's perfunctory chin was a little absent-minded, "Well, next month, I'll send you another shipload." ”As he spoke, several warships suddenly appeared on the sea, and two waves of light-footed samurai rushed out of the woods on both sides of the coast."
Grab them all, don't let them go!"
The samurai who rushed out brandished their katana swords and roared loudly."
It's not good, it's from the Tokugawa family!"
Shimazu Hisao exclaimed.A samurai from the islands gathered one after another."
AhhhShimazu Hisao, who didn't expect the Tokugawa family to come here to investigate smuggling, drew his sword and roared like a beast, trying to intimidate the Tokugawa army that surrounded him.However, the Tokugawa army did not stop, and surrounded from all sides with torches.Shimazu Hisao roared a few times like a fried cat, then suddenly turned around and ran away.The Tokugawa army did not capture Shimazu Hisao, but they captured all the small boats that had just landed.At this time, the light-footed samurai carried boxes of goods from the boat, placed them on the beach, and pried them open with a crowbar.The samurai general, led by him, picked up the torch and illuminated the wooden box, only to see a pitch-black Ming Dynasty iron cannon lying inside."
Yaga!"
The Tokugawa samurai was immediately furious, "The Shimazu family, sure enough, bought the Ming Dynasty iron cannon, intending to subvert the shogun's family!"
”In the Amakusa Islands, smuggling is rampant, and the Tokugawa family knows about it, but all the time, they have turned a blind eye.After all, the smuggling trade involved not only Ming Dynasty merchants, but also powerful foreign daimyos, as well as merchants and wealthy families in Japan, forming an interest group.If the shogunate acts rashly, involving too much breadth and smashing too many people's jobs at once, I am afraid that it will insidious everyone's dissatisfaction with the shogunate.After the Tokugawa family raised tariffs on Ming Dynasty goods, the prices of Ming Dynasty goods skyrocketed, and there were no substitute goods in Japan, so there was a certain necessity for smuggling trade.However, this smuggling trade is limited to cloth, silk, tea, porcelain, books and other daily necessities, and absolutely cannot include arms smuggling.After the Ming Dynasty imposed a "tribute punishment" on Japan, the Tokugawa family began to be wary of the infiltration of Ming Dynasty forces and paid close attention to the external daimyo.The day before yesterday, the Tokugawa army stationed in Nagasaki suddenly received a message that the Shimazu family had the support of the Ming Dynasty and wanted to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate, and the Ming Dynasty would send a batch of iron cannons to the Amakusa Islands and hand them over to the Shimazu family.Therefore, the Tokugawa family was ambushed in advance, not wanting to really break it, and the Shimazu family traded with the Ming Dynasty."
Put away the iron cannon and bring it back to Nagasaki!"
The Tokugawa samurai shouted and ordered the light samurai to load the muskets and return to Nagasaki, where they would report to the Tokugawa shogunate.A few days later, Edo Castle, Honmaru.Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth general, picked up a Ming Dynasty flintlock musket, aimed at a distant target, and pulled the trigger.With a "bang" sound, a cloud of white smoke rose up, and the wooden plank fifty paces away exploded directly."
Si Guoyi!"
Tokugawa Ietssuna looked at the musket in his hand and praised excitedly: "The iron cannon of the Ming Kingdom is really amazing!"
”However, then, Tokugawa Ietsuna's face sank, and he asked the retainers around him: "This batch of iron cannons is really the iron cannons that the Shimazu family purchased from the Ming Dynasty?"
”The elder Matsudaira Nobutsuna said in a deep voice: "This is Matsudaira Cherang, which was seized during the transaction between the Shimazu family and the Ming merchant ships, and it must not be wrong." ”Tokugawa Ietsuna was shocked in his heart, but as a descendant of the old turtle, his face was not shocked, and he asked, "What do the Shimazu family want to do when they buy this batch of iron cannons?"
”"Your Highness, the Shimazu family must have received the support of the Ming Kingdom when they bought iron cannons at this time, and they intended to raise troops against the Tokugawa family!"
Matsudaira Nobutsuna said urgently.Tokugawa Ietsuna's face finally became gloomy, "Then what should I do?"
”"Summoning Shimazu Mitsuhisa to the shogunate, if he comes, detain him and control the Satsuma Domain.If he refuses to come, it means that the Shimazu family really wants to rebel.In this way, the shogunate should have captured the Satsuma domain before the Satsuma domain received support from the Ming Kingdom. ”Matsudaira Nobutsuna said in a deep voice.Japan relied mainly on the sea to defend itself against foreign enemies, and if the Satsuma clan received the Ming army to land in Japan, the Tokugawa family would lose their greatest reliance."
Just do what you want!"
Tokugawa Ietsuna picked up the musket again."
Hey!"
Matsudaira Nobutsuna was busy and bent over with his legs.Satsuma Domain, Kagoshima Castle, Shimazu family Honmaru castle tower.Shimazu Mitsuhisa looked at Tagawa Nanazaemon with an angry face, "Tagawa-kun, I trust you so much and regard you as a friend, why did you frame the Shimazu family!"
”Tagawa Nanazaemon was busy bowing ninety degrees, "Dead rice mom scattered!"
This was all a mistake by the merchant who disembarked from the ship by disembarking from the ship of the arms sold to the Uesugi family as porcelain. ”()