blogombal Page 105
Page 105
Every ship that came and went, every cargo that was loaded and unloaded, and every transaction that was completed provided lifeblood for the Kubo family, and together they formed the foundation of their empire.
In fact, Shinzaburo had already been issuing orders at Koseyama Castle as early as last summer, and after receiving the position of Guardian Delegate a few months ago, he rightfully became the lord. However, it wasn't until the implementation of the new policy in the port town, replacing the difficult-to-collect taxes with donations from government merchants, that he truly gained control of Obama Bay.
"Lord Imai Munehisa of Sakai-cho has really been a great help by choosing to open a branch in Obama." Master Meishu stared at the book in his hand, a smile appearing on his face. "It was precisely because of his active participation that the Wakasa merchants felt a sense of competition and increased the scale of their 'transport money.' According to current estimates, all the official merchants combined can eventually provide around 3,300 kan of transport money per year."
"This number is within expectations." Shinzaburo remained calm. "Aside from the compensation promised to Kawakatsu and the Nasa pirates, it's only about 2,500 kan. Kohama can't compare to Sakai after all."
“There’s only one Sakai-cho among the sixty-six kingdoms!” Master Mingzhou chuckled in surprise, then added, “However, this means that the imperial merchants along the Ogong Street will also be exempt from all taxes and duties, and their income will be drastically reduced.”
"The taxes and fees there amount to only one or two hundred kan per year." Shinzaburo is now someone who can consider a hundred kan as a small amount of money. "Moreover, collecting them is both mentally and physically exhausting."
"I have a question, but I don't know if I should say it," A-Dou suddenly said in a low voice.
Today, apart from the servants waiting in the distance, only three people were present. In principle, when discussing state affairs, even the principal wife should at most listen from the side; as a woman, she should not freely express her opinions.
Ah Dou had always been very polite, but for some reason she overstepped her bounds this time.
Master Mingzhou immediately frowned, his expression turning unfriendly, but he didn't say anything, only glancing sideways at Shinzaburo's expression.
Tanba Zhongkui, Sasaki Kubo, and Sado no Kami, as a famous general who defeated 12,000 men of the Asakura clan, not only intimidated foreign enemies, but also inspired awe in their own people.
Adou was somewhat uneasy after saying this.
Shinzaburo didn't react much, he just extended his hand: "Speak freely."
"Thank you for your permission, sir." Adou said gently, "Brother Shingoro is now the magistrate of Ogong Castle. If he loses the commercial revenue of Ogong Street, wouldn't that be a bit difficult? Perhaps we should give him some compensation."
Upon hearing this, Master Mingzhou breathed a sigh of relief and immediately smoothed things over, saying, "This can also be considered a matter of the inner quarters, and it is indeed something that women should be concerned about."
Shinsaburo chuckled and said, “There’s no need to worry about that. The cypress wood and sweetfish in the territory of Ōgimiya Castle are famous local specialties. Now, with the help of Lord Imai Munehisa, they can earn about 400 kan every year. Shingoro will never be short of money.”
"It turns out I was overthinking things, and I'm sorry you had to laugh at me, sir." Adou bowed slightly to express her apology.
Master Mingzhou nodded and said, "The situation in Great Bow City is quite stable, so the work of the city magistrate shouldn't be too difficult."
“If there really is any trouble…” Shinsaburo stroked his chin thoughtfully, “it’s that there are several dozen samurai leading the administration of Kuwata County, but they are serving in Wakasa, and several dozen foot soldiers have also been transferred here. Shingoro may not have enough manpower available. We really should think of a solution for him.”
“Capable retainers are always limited. Rather than sending them to Ōgū Castle, it would be better to focus on managing Wakasa,” Master Myōshū advised.
“I don’t plan to send any of my own men,” Shinzaburo said with a smile. “The Kubo family is short of manpower because it’s growing too fast, but some families just want more branches.”
……
"It seems that I will have to personally handle this mountain dispute lawsuit in the upper reaches of the Kumada River."
Kubo Shingoro Hiroaki, who was nearly fifteen years old, did not have the imposing stature of his older brother. Instead, he was about the same height as his father, only half a head taller than the average person.
Of course, given his age, there is still a possibility of him developing further.
However, Shingoro's calm and composed demeanor when handling matters already shows that he has reached about 70-80% of Shinsaburo's level.
Jin Bingwei's father, who was standing next to him, reminded him: "Things like mountain discussions can be big or small, so don't be too careless."
The so-called "mountain dispute" refers to a disagreement between farmers from two villages over the ownership of a certain mountain forest. These disputes can range from minor to major. Sometimes they are resolved with a few words, while other times they escalate into large-scale bloodshed.
"Hmm..." Shingoro nodded somewhat perfunctorily, but finally couldn't help but retort: "I checked before, it's just a small mountain with not much produce, it's just a dispute over firewood, it's easy to decide."
"If that's the case, why not just send anyone?" Old Man Jinbingwei asked doubtfully. "Getting to the upper reaches of the Kumada River is not an easy journey; a round trip might not even take a day."
"There's no way around it, we're short-handed," Shingoro sighed. "We've brought almost all the able-bodied men from our hometown, but they can only serve as guards and attendants; they can't stand on their own for the time being."
“There probably aren’t many talented people here,” Old Man Jin Bingwei frowned. “Anyone with any skill around Da Gong Castle seems to have been taken away by your brother long ago. But those three samurai you left behind…”
“They’re already busy enough.” Shingoro couldn’t help but smile wryly. “The city’s defenses need to be set up, the treasury and granaries must be guarded, and the town under the castle also needs to be watched over. When we were collecting the autumn grain, two of the three of them fell ill from exhaustion.”
"We should have asked Shinzaburo to send more people to help," said Kinbei's father, feeling sorry for his youngest son. "Don't worry too much, or you'll collapse too."
“Wakasa is a country several times the size of Ōgū Castle.” Shingoro shook his head. “My brother may not have enough talented people to use.”
“It is indeed a bit difficult…” Old Man Jin Bingwei pondered for a moment and said, “Otherwise, could you let me handle this matter of the mountain debate?”
Shingoro chuckled immediately: "With your health, you're still holding back..."
Just then, a servant reported that someone from the Kawakatsu family in the north had come to visit.
"Has Ajima's family arrived?" Shingoro asked in surprise, and quickly sent someone to fetch his wife.
For the purpose of a political marriage, with the consent of Miyoshi Nagayoshi, Shingoro married the daughter of Kawakatsu Hirotsugu, the previous head of the Kawakatsu family, and received the character "Hiro" from her. Therefore, after his coming-of-age ceremony, he was named Kubo Hiroaki.
These are close in-laws who have contributed to every battle and have never used their relationship to demand rewards.
Shingoro naturally attached great importance to it.
Kim Bing-wei immediately straightened his clothes, washed his face, and combed his hair to avoid appearing impolite.
A short while later, two young men came to pay their respects.
Shingoro knows them all.
One was named Kino, and the other was named Usajiro. They were two illegitimate sons of the Kawakatsu family, both of whom had not long since come of age.
Even though Adao's figure and face still looked quite young, she walked out with a dignified and graceful demeanor and greeted her two family members.
After exchanging pleasantries, Shingoro asked, "May I ask what brings you two here?"
Kawakatsu Kichiro and Kawakatsu Usaburo exchanged a glance. The former took out a letter, and then they both bowed and proclaimed, "We have come to Ōgum Castle seeking an opportunity to serve you, and we beg to be accepted by you!"
Upon hearing this, Shingoro was overjoyed. He stepped forward to help the two up, grasped their wrists, and said with a smile, "Such a wonderful thing! I hope we can work together to create a great enterprise in the future!"
The illegitimate sons of the Kawakatsu family may not have great abilities, but at least they have received a proper education and most of them have been exposed to business management.
Their arrival at this time is like sending charcoal in snowy weather.
Then, Shingoro opened the letter and realized that it was his elder brother who had arranged this.
This is not over yet.
Then three more young men from Wakasa came to apply for jobs. They were named Hongo Tenzen, Kumagai Hayato, and Awaya Jin'emon, and all came from local traditional samurai families.
Finally, there were two illegitimate sons of the Settsu Ikeda family, named Yarokuro and Sabei, both strong and brave men.
With seven new participants at once, Hiroaki Kubo has no worries for the time being.
After all, Great Bow City only has a few thousand subjects, so it doesn't need so many governing institutions.
199. Hiroaki Kubo only wants to make money.
We have the manpower.
But the problem that follows is that we have to pay them salaries!
The seven illegitimate sons, all from respectable military families, were skilled warriors with their own armor. They could not be regarded as ronin or commoners; they should be hired at least at a price of fifty or sixty koku.
Shingoro himself did not possess much property, receiving only 500 koku of "castle lord's share" to support his household and hire servants. Following his elder brother's instructions, he used land in Ōyū Castle to register seven visitors in Kubo's register.
In addition to the actions of the dozens of retainers, a total of more than four thousand shi of land were exempt from paying taxes.
There were also over three thousand half-farm lands belonging to the foot soldiers.
The remaining farmland belonging to the common people that could be taxed in full amounted to just over five thousand bushels, less than half of the total.
Of course, compared to the old-style "guardian daimyo", this ratio is already incredibly high.
For example, the Takeda clan, which owned the entire province of Wakasa, did not have more than 15,000 koku of directly controlled land.
The estimated land revenue is over 2,300 shi of grain and over 260 guan of cash. Adding to that the 400 guan of revenue from the export of timber and sweetfish, the total is quite substantial.
Although it was all his brother's money and he couldn't easily misappropriate it, Shingoro couldn't stop smiling as he looked at the numbers in the ledger and thought about the clinking of copper coins and the smell of rice in the warehouse.
Making money is so fun!
Shingoro grew up in the countryside and, based on his limited knowledge, always thought that samurai were rich and powerful but busy and dangerous, unlike merchants who could enjoy a comfortable life. Later, as he learned more about the world and gradually understood the true nature of various professions, he gave up the idea of going into business.
The main reason is that he doesn't have such an outstanding older brother in the business world.
Having a good older brother is very important.
Look at him now, not even fifteen years old yet, and with no noteworthy achievements, he sits in the position of the governor of Ogyu Castle, and enjoys a salary of 500 koku. How comfortable is that?
It should be noted that the earliest retainers of the Kubo family, who risked their lives and killed many heads, were repeatedly promoted but only received a salary of a little over three hundred koku.
And no one felt that there was any unfairness involved.
You were born into this world based on your own abilities!
Even if he had two lives, no one would dare say anything.
But then again...
The happiest you are when you receive money, the more painful it is when you spend it.
There are many expenses related to daily necessities, from firewood and rice to oil and salt.
Family members need to have appropriate attire befitting their status; the servants and guards' food, drink, and sanitation must be provided for; military rations for the coming year's campaigns must be reserved in advance; roads, bridges, and dikes must be regularly inspected; and office supplies such as pens, ink, paper, candles, and firewood are also essential...
As he calculated each item, Shingoro gradually stopped smiling.
Until they discovered the last item on the hastily written budget list: "Tribute to the Imperial Palace Mountain State House, 240 kan".
Shingoro immediately became agitated, slamming his fist on the table and cursing, "We gave away heavy copper coins to pigs and dogs in Kyoto! What a sin!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? What if someone hears us?" Old Man Jinbingwei immediately became anxious and slapped his youngest son on the back of the head: "Your brother is now a cultured man who reads 'The Tale of Genji,' don't say things that will cause him trouble!"
Shingoro's wife, Ojima, was also sitting nearby, but she only glanced around quickly, and seeing that no servants were passing by, she said nothing.
"Sigh..." Shingoro knew he was in the wrong and didn't dare to refute, but just shook his head, "Looks like I'll have to sell some more rice."
"Then let's sell it." Old Man Jinbingwei said nonchalantly, "The grain business is handled by Imai of Sakai Town. They've always bought it at 500 mon per shi, which is quite fair."
“But he’ll stockpile it locally for a few months, and then, as grain prices gradually rise in various places, he’ll transport it to Iwami via Obama Bay. By then, it’ll be more than one kan per koku!” Shingoro’s tone was a mixture of envy and annoyance. “I’ve investigated this route thoroughly. Those merchants in Sakai Town really know how to make money!”
"That's because they have the ability to pull strings and manage marketing channels," Old Man Jin Bingwei said with a relaxed attitude. "Besides, doesn't storage and transportation incur costs?"
"Ah, that's true." Shingoro was immediately disheartened. He put down his pen and paper, got up and went outside. He put his hands on the railing, silently looked out of the city, and sighed deeply.
Ajima, from the Kawakatsu family, had previously upheld her ladylike conduct and had not expressed any opinion. However, she couldn't help but cover her mouth with her sleeve and chuckle: "If my late father saw this scene, he would surely become close friends with Lord Shingoro. The relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law would be very harmonious."
But after laughing, she couldn't help feeling a little sad.
Shingoro was still lost in thought outside the door, seemingly not having heard what was said.
Old Man Jin Bingwei had always held his daughter-in-law, who came from a respectable military family, in the highest esteem. He quickly expressed his humility, saying, "Your father was a master strategist who built a great empire. My son is only greedy for money and has no ability to make it. How can he compare?"
Ajima naturally respected her father-in-law. However, the principle of a samurai wife was to prioritize her husband, so she immediately offered a tactful rebuttal with a slight smile: "My lord often possesses extraordinary ingenuity, but he has yet to fully display his talents. One day..."
Before she could finish speaking, Shingoro was grumbling again: "I see the woodcutters are coming to transport timber. Imai also monopolizes this business. Sigh, they've really overreached!"
Seeing this, Jinbingwei's father felt embarrassed.
A-Dao, however, watched the figure leaning against the railing with a smile.
Suddenly, Shingoro asked suspiciously, "Some of the timber was probably substandard, and the merchants didn't buy it. But it seems that people around here still bought it at a low price. What are they doing with it?"
Jin Bingwei's father was indeed experienced and understood without even looking: "Good building materials are those that are of good quality and size; otherwise, they can only be used for burning charcoal."
"Charcoal burning...right!" Shingoro suddenly realized something. "There's always a limited number of trees suitable for building materials. But charcoal burning isn't so picky. I don't think Ogong Castle has levied a charcoal and firewood tax yet, right?"
"There aren't any charcoal kilns around here, are there?" Old Man Jin Bingwei frowned. "The people burn a little for their own use, and that's only a few coins they can collect. We have to send someone to keep accounts and calculate the money. It's not worth it."
"There's nothing to build!" Shingoro slammed his hand on the railing, suddenly becoming spirited. "Does any charcoal kiln in the world just grow out of the ground?"
"Wait, it's not that simple!" Old Man Jinbing tried to stop him. "We don't have any craftsmen here. And even if we could make good charcoal, where would you sell it to in such a short time?"
"Just because my sworn sister is Master Mingzhou's daughter... cough, niece, the Linji sect should give her some face and help find a sales channel, right?" Shingoro's mind worked quickly. "Like our family's millet wine. It's a pity that nowadays, a business of three to five thousand liters of wine isn't that big."
“If we rely solely on the master’s help, it will be like wine – difficult to scale up,” Old Man Jin Bingwei calmly pointed out the problem. “If we really want to get into charcoal burning, we need to think carefully about whether we have any advantages.”
“Hmm, that’s true.” Shingoro pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “Speaking of kilns, I’m reminded of something else. A few months ago, Matsunaga Hōunken—ah, he’s now called Naito Bizen-no-kami—didn’t he defeat the Hatano family and seize Taki District?”
“That’s right.” Old Man Jinbingwei nodded and then shook his head. “But what does this have to do with us charcoal burners?”
"In the southwestern corner of Taki County, there are many pottery kilns carved into the mountains, and the pottery they produce sells very well," Shingoro said confidently. "However, due to the occasional appearances of the remnants of the Hatano family in the deep mountains, those kilns have been unable to operate peacefully recently. If the only requirements are caves and firewood, Ōyū Castle would be perfectly suitable. Could you persuade the craftsmen to move here?"
"Huh?" Old Man Jin Bingwei was a little confused for a moment. "We were just talking about charcoal burning, and now it's turned into pottery making?"
“There are far fewer places to make pottery than places to make charcoal,” Shingoro said decisively. “If we can make pottery, of course we should give up charcoal making!”
"Hmm...that does sound more promising." Old Man Jinbingwei was slightly swayed, but still remained skeptical. "Hiring craftsmen and building workshops won't be that simple, will it?"
“It’s definitely not easy.” Shingoro acknowledged the difficulties, but his fighting spirit only grew stronger. He rubbed his hands together and said, “Brother is absolutely right. The easy things in the world are always given to the descendants of the rich and powerful. How could it be our turn?”
Upon hearing this, Jin Bingwei's father paused slightly, then fell silent in his objection.
After a moment of silence, Ashima smiled and said, "Does my husband know so much about the things in the southwestern mountainous area of Taki County?"
“Of course.” Shingoro said proudly, “I have carefully inquired about all the profitable industries in Tanba Province, including neighboring Wakasa, Tango, Tajima, Harima, Settsu, Yamashiro, Omi and so on! Don’t worry, let me tell you about the paper and pine resin businesses.”
"Hehe... Then I must listen carefully to my husband's wise words!" A-dao covered her mouth with her sleeve again, but her eyes revealed a gentle smile.