Chapter 452: Setting Aside Military Threats, Promoting Overseas Treasure Notes

In the seventh year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang established the Treasure Note Commissioner. In the eighth year of Hongwu, an edict was issued to begin the formal issuance of Great Ming Circulation Treasure Notes. In the 26th year of Hongwu, it was abolished. In those 18 years, the Great Ming issued a total of 100 million ingots of Treasure Notes. Starting from the 22nd year of Hongwu, small notes were added, ranging from 10 to 50 wen. These 100 million ingots were not all large notes of one string; there were also small notes ranging from 100 to 500 wen, and 10 to 50 wen.

In the 13th year of Hongwu, because the notes became worn and illegible, the "Reverse Note Law" was established, allowing the public to exchange old notes for new ones and permitting the use of copper coins and Treasure Notes interchangeably. In the 25th year of Hongwu, due to a shortage of copper, the Treasure Source Bureau stopped casting coins. In the autumn of the same year, because the circulation of the paper currency system was blocked, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict forbidding the use of coins. In the 26th year of Hongwu, because the reverse exchange was inconvenient, the printing of Great Ming Circulation Treasure Notes was stopped.

The Great Ming Circulation Treasure Notes were already extremely good. At least before the autumn of the 25th year of Hongwu, one could still exchange notes for coins from the official treasury. It was a convertible paper currency. It was only truly inconvertible for the short period between the autumn of the 25th year and the 26th year. The printing of Treasure Notes stopped in the 26th year of Hongwu because there were no more copper coins in the treasury; it had been completely hollowed out.

The corruption of the Great Ming's "Opening Method" was for similar reasons.

Compared to the Southern Song court, which issued hundreds of millions of strings, or the Yuan court, which frequently abolished and reissued notes, the Great Ming Circulation Treasure Notes did not play the trick of exchanging many old notes for few new ones. Throughout the 276 years of the Great Ming Dynasty, only one type of paper currency was issued, all using the Hongwu era name, making it a typical example of stubbornly holding on until the end.

The Great Ming retained the Treasure Note Bureau after this, printing Treasure Notes more as a symbol of preserving ancestral systems.

The Ministry of Revenue's intention to promote the paper currency system was blocked by the Wenhua Hall, while the Ministry of War's silver notes, relying on coal-silver convection and post stations, were actually a contract, a ledger-based currency. It was a paid silver transport business that could be redeemed for coke at the Xishan Coal Bureau or cashed out at the Huaitong Post Station in the capital.

At the end, Minister of Justice Wang Chonggu told the Emperor a little story about the oil seller Jin Xiao who returned lost property but was framed, and the County Magistrate Chen Zhen who seemed to have enforced the law excessively. Zhu Yijun felt that Zhang Juzheng was right: the Great Ming's atmosphere was being ruined by such small matters. The imperial court wanted to prevent things before they happened, but it was as hard as ascending to heaven.

After the court session, Zhu Yijun kept Zhang Juzheng behind. It wasn't to discuss any confidential matters, but simply to show off the results of his "not attending to proper business."

"Sir, look, this diagram is of the Xishan Coal Bureau's kiln shafts. The kiln workers mostly work underground. The coal in Mentougou is buried deep, and underground work is very dangerous. To ventilate, the craftsmen made a long tube inserted from the ground into the shaft, using a reciprocating steam engine to ventilate. It is quite ingenious." In front of Zhu Yijun was a painting showing kiln workers mining coal and the ventilation device, an important invention of the Xishan kiln shafts this year.

"What is this?" Zhang Juzheng asked, pointing to a line on the diagram with some confusion.

Zhu Yijun explained, "There is a torch at the ventilation outlet. If the exhaust is ignited, it proves there is poisonous smoke underground, which is very dangerous and one must ascend immediately. To notify those underground, they use iron wires hanging copper bells. When the bells shake rapidly, and there is shouting from the pipe, they must exit the shaft immediately."

Accidents like gas leaks were called "poisonous smoke" in the Great Ming. Once there was poisonous smoke, one had to leave the shaft immediately. The place Zhang Juzheng pointed to was a complete alarm system. There were different ways to shake the copper bells. If water seepage was discovered, the kiln workers underground had to shake the bells immediately and retreat at once. A moment's delay could mean death underground.

This whole set of iron wires and copper bells was the lifeline underground.

"This one, a new surveying cart!" Zhu Yijun walked over to a cart. This cart was a comprehensive surveying tool.

He walked to the cart, pulled out the first rod, and then locked the crossbeam so the rod wouldn't fall off. On this rod was a sextant, responsible for observing the angle of the North Star to determine latitude. Then he pulled out the second rod, which had a triangular surveying telescope responsible for determining the angle of the observation target. He pushed the cart a few steps, and the reading changed. This was the path distance. Then he took an iron shovel, iron pliers, and a pickaxe from the cart.

He opened the box on the cart, which contained ink, a steel pen, a wooden board with clips, many standard cut papers, a mechanical calculator, and two clocks.

"Is this a surveying cart?" Zhang Juzheng was stunned. The diagram before was drawn by the craftsmen of the Xishan Coal Bureau based on practice, but this cart in front of him was clearly completely different from the surveying carts he knew for land measurement.

"This is something I proposed, and the scholars of the Imperial Academy of Sciences made it. In the future, finding dragon veins, locating mineral veins, and drawing topographical maps will be much more convenient." Zhu Yijun stood in front of the surveying cart, smiling broadly. Relying on the fact that Zhang Juzheng was still in the court and had time to slack off, he personally designed and made this tool that was very handy for the scholars.

The great inventor Zhu Yijun.

Zhang Juzheng walked around the surveying cart twice, then verified the functions one by one, studying the structure of the vehicle, and kept saying, "Interesting, interesting."

"When you leave, Sir, take one. I made many. Every scholar in the Academy has one. It's not expensive, less than two taels of silver each." Zhu Yijun kept explaining how to use the various tools.

In the Northern Hemisphere, one can observe latitude by looking at the angle of the North Star, but in the Southern Hemisphere, one needs to find the South Celestial Pole. The vertical bisector of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds is the point, and the point forming an equilateral triangle with the Magellanic Clouds is it. But in practice, it is often mistaken because a false cross interferes.

The two clocks were used to measure longitude, recording the time in the Northern Capital. The two were responsible for cross-checking to get an average value. There was also a sundial to calculate local time. These were the experiences of the naval forces constantly sailing on the sea. Every algorithm was extremely precious.

Zhu Yijun chatted enthusiastically with Zhang Juzheng about the various uses of this tool.

"Good, good, good, a good thing indeed." Zhang Juzheng studied it for a long time and said quite confidently, "With this, there is no need to worry about not knowing how big the world is."

"There's more." Zhu Yijun brought Zhang Juzheng to a huge topographical map and pulled away the red silk cloth. Above it was a giant topographical map, a detailed topographical map of the Great Ming's current actual counties. Under the table was a box containing even more precise topographical maps of the two capitals, thirteen provinces, and four major viceroyalties.

The Imperial Academy of Sciences had completed the surveying of the Great Ming's imperial highways and post stations in stages. The Great Ming's topographical maps were finally no longer out of proportion.

"Topographical map! When you return to the Cabinet, Sir, take a copy back to study slowly." Zhu Yijun showed part of the topographical map. Only Suiyuan's was a simple outline, but the general shape could be seen.

"Since the 'Degree-Based Surveying,' the Great Ming's surveying has finally made significant progress after the old immortal Guo Shoujing. It's been nearly three hundred years." Zhu Yijun was extremely gratified by the results of these nine years. After Guo Shoujing's four-sea survey, the Great Ming finally had further surveying achievements.

It was not easy for the things left behind by the old immortal to benefit the world for three hundred years, and now the Great Ming court had finally taken another step forward on the shoulders of the old immortal.

"Sir, are you quite opposed to the recent new policies?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng for his views on the recent new policies.

Zhu Yijun had grown up, and the center of power was gradually shifting from Zhang Juzheng to the Emperor. The recent new policies were quite radical. The expansion of the Yanxing Tower Exchange, national debt, the trial of paper currency overseas, and the acceptance bills of post stations—no matter which one, they were somewhat out of tune with the Great Ming and contrary to ritual and education.

In the process of the small-scale peasant economy transforming into a commodity economy, because of the abundance of commodities, a kind of commodity fetishism where commodities can do anything will be produced. And with the inflow of silver, the damming of silver in the capital, Southern Yamen, Songjiang, and other places, fetishism must inevitably transform into money fetishism, believing that money can do anything. Whether it is commodity fetishism or money fetishism, it is a huge impact on the Confucian scholars who worship the moral education of the Great Ming.

"I am indeed not very supportive." Zhang Juzheng chose to tell the truth. Since the Emperor asked directly, he answered directly. Going around in circles and guessing back and forth did not fit the mode of interaction between this pair of monarch and minister. He pondered repeatedly and said, "Actually, in my view, the intensity of the new policies is already quite enough. There is no need to go any further."

Five-masted ocean-crossing ships were enough; there was no need to build fast sailing ships. Land clearing and returning to farming were enough; there was no need to census the population and equalize land and labor. Six books and one account were enough; the Great Ming's financial resources were increasing daily, so there was no need for the exchange to expand, and even less need to issue national debt. The silver and red copper pouring into the Great Ming were enough; there was no need to explore the paper currency system. The "Regulations for Post Stations" were enough; the acceptance bills of post stations were the Ministry of War overstepping its bounds.

All these things, Zhang Juzheng felt, were enough. If they continued, it would threaten imperial power.

The emerging bourgeoisie would never be satisfied with their current class. Having mastered more social resources, they would become increasingly dissatisfied with the top-down exploitation. The emerging bourgeoisie would inevitably try every means to achieve class leap, which is to rebel.

There are historical lessons for this. The An Lushan Rebellion caused the Great Tang to slide from a prosperous age to hell. After the An Lushan Rebellion was quelled, the military governors discovered their own strength and each became a mountain king. The separatist regimes of the military governors became the greatest chaos of the mid-to-late Tang.

When a class masters social resources that do not belong to its class, wanting to go further becomes inevitable.

"Reverently, the holy dynasty governs the world with filial piety." Filial piety is the basic operating rule of society under Confucianism: "The order of officials, nobility, and inferiority each gets its due, so as to show future generations the order of respect, inferiority, old, and young."

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng's expression and revealed a sunny smile, just like before. Zhu Yijun remembered that one is one, and two is two. He asked Zhang Juzheng to distinguish between monarch-father, monarch-teacher, and monarch-state. At that time, Zhang Juzheng refused, and now Zhang Juzheng still refused.

Zhang Juzheng's new policies never thought of establishing a new order from beginning to end; they were just to extend the life of the Great Ming Dynasty.

The current new policies were indeed a bit too unorthodox.

"Then, Sir, if you don't support it, why don't you oppose it?" Zhu Yijun asked curiously.

Zhang Juzheng frowned, thought seriously, shook his head, and said, "Because I don't know where to oppose it from. The implementation of the recent new policies has hidden worries. This is actually very normal. There is no decree that is perfect. Contradictions are everywhere. Good and bad exist in opposition and unity. Giving up eating for fear of choking is too weak."

"So I have to try it first."

The Great Ming now had the capital to try and fail. It was no longer the precarious situation when the Emperor first ascended the throne. Whether the decrees were good or bad, try them first. Anyway, they were all pilot programs. If it succeeded, it succeeded. If it didn't, weren't there still "traitors" like Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu?

Zhang Juzheng packed up the things the Emperor gave him. Before returning to the Wenhua Hall, he hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, in the case of Magistrate Chen Zhen of Shicheng County, that owner is likely a lackey of the local wealthy families. Chen Zhen just took office, and the local wealthy families are probably trying to give him a warning. Chen Zhen is not made of mud either."

Zhu Yijun agreed quite a bit and said, "Thirty taels of silver is not something an ordinary family can take out."

This was not strange. When he first ascended the throne, Zhang Siwei intended to give the Emperor a warning, getting Wang Jinglong to enter the palace to scare the Emperor.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival of the 15th day of the 8th month of the 9th year of Wanli, every festival makes one miss their relatives more. The Viceroy of Nagasaki, Xu Wei, who was far away in the Nagasaki Viceroyalty, rarely opened a bottle of the first-year Wanli National Cellar and called the Shipping Commissioner Sun Keyi, Nagasaki Commander Li Chengli, Shipping Bureau Eunuch Wang Chao, and Censor Luo Yinghe and others.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was originally a reunion festival, but they were all in a foreign land and could only look at the bright moon and miss their hometown.

"Everyone, today is Mid-Autumn, drink up." Xu Wei raised his glass. He didn't say many toasts; he just drank it in one gulp. Five people shared one jin, so each person only had three taels.

"Several pieces of good news have come from the capital." After drinking the wine in his glass, Xu Wei talked about the news from the Great Ming.

"General Qi, with his golden spears and iron horses, swallowed ten thousand miles like a tiger, leveled the Ping-level, beheaded five thousand, and built a Beijing view to awe the grasslands. He drove straight in and recovered the Ordos Loop. This is the first joy."

"Datong, Shengzhou, and Womagang have discovered large coal mountains, copper mountains, and silver mountains. From now on, our Great Ming's urgent need for silver will not completely rely on overseas imports. This is the second joy."

"The Great Ming navy has expanded from 30,000 to 90,000, stationed in Mizhou, Songjiang, Guangzhou, and Ryukyu. Our Great Ming's sea waves are calm, and there is no more worry about Japanese pirates in the merchant shipping. This is the third joy."

"The Emperor has gained another princess, born to the Empress. This is the fourth joy."

"Celebrate for the Great Ming! Celebrate for the Emperor!"

"Celebrate for the Great Ming! Celebrate for the Emperor!" Everyone raised their glasses again and drank. The Nagasaki Viceroyalty was full of joy.

These were all joyful events closely related to the Nagasaki Viceroyalty. As long as the Great Ming was still strengthening, the Nagasaki Viceroyalty would inevitably continue. Bai Yin did not need to rely on overseas imports, which was the top priority for the Great Ming's silver security. The pressure on the Nagasaki Viceroyalty was greatly reduced. The navy expanded, and if there were any changes in the Nagasaki Viceroyalty, there would be reinforcements. The Emperor gained a daughter. If any viceroyalty burned high incense and married a princess, that would naturally be joy upon joy.

"Good wine, Viceroy Xu is stingy, only willing to open one bottle of good wine!" Li Chengli shook the wine bottle, which was already at the bottom.

Sun Keyi waved his hand repeatedly and said, "After all, we are in Nagasaki, so we must be careful. Drinking too much will cause trouble."

It wasn't that there wasn't any, it was just inconvenient to drink openly.

"Commissioner Sun, how many Japanese slaves have been sent to the Yuanxu Islands in the last six months?" Xu Wei looked at Sun Keyi and asked in a low voice. As soon as these words came out, everyone looked at Sun Keyi. The Japanese slave business was a slave trade that couldn't see the light of day.

The Yuanxu Islands had demand, and the Nagasaki Viceroyalty had a source of Japanese slaves. With demand and supply, there was naturally a price, and the profits were high. The Nagasaki Viceroyalty was very skilled at "ringing the bells," and the output of Japanese slaves was extremely high.

Since Chen Lin supported the Nagasaki Viceroyalty and leveled the Shimazu, Ryuzoji, and Otomo clans, the entire Jiuzhoudao—Chikuzen, Chikugo, Buzen, Bungo, Hizen, Higo, Hyuga, Satsuma, and Osumi, including the 1,400 islands under their jurisdiction—all belonged to the Nagasaki Viceroyalty.

Since the Great Ming Navy Regional Commander, Duke of Shouli, Chen Lin, left Nagasaki, the Nagasaki Viceroyalty had been doing one thing: suppressing rebellions. But for the prisoners after suppressing rebellions, killing them was inauspicious, and not killing them was a nuisance, so they simply "rang the bells" and sent them to the Yuanxu Islands to be slaves and reclaim wasteland.

The dilemma was solved; wasn't it beautiful?

"Thirty thousand, plus another four thousand seven hundred Japanese female entertainers, have been sent to Songjiang Prefecture," Sun Keyi said calmly. Sun Keyi was a native of Songjiang and, moreover, a survivor of the Japanese pirate raids of the past. He simply could not bring himself to sympathize with the Japanese, so he acted cold and ruthless; plucking their bells was like slaughtering pigs.

Blood feuds can only be repaid with blood. How the Japanese pirates wreaked havoc in the southeast, Sun Keyi was now retaliating in kind.

Thirty thousand Japanese slaves—not all of them were prisoners. Some were caught by special slave hunters. There were about 1 million Japanese on Jiuzhoudao. In half a year, they removed 30,000 pairs of bells. The efficiency was already very low.

"The capital sent a batch of Treasure Notes. I intend to use this batch of Treasure Notes to exchange for silver." Xu Wei took out a box and opened it. Inside were Great Ming overseas Treasure Notes. Unlike the circulation Treasure Notes, the overseas Treasure Notes used the Wanli era name.

Censor Luo Yinghe flipped through the exquisite Treasure Notes and shook his head, saying, "They are printed extremely exquisitely and look quite sturdy, but they are a pile of waste paper. The Mori and Oda clans are not fools. Why would they want them? They wouldn't be happy to exchange waste paper for silver and sulfur."

As a Censor, Luo Yinghe had been in contact with the Japanese gentry. The top level of Japan all learned Chinese, and their correspondence was also in Chinese. This was a class barrier. The commoners in Japan couldn't come into contact with Chinese learning, and they couldn't even read the laws, medical books, and scriptures. Japan did this, and so did Korea.

The top level of Japan was still very knowledgeable about the Great Ming. That Great Ming Treasure Notes were worse than toilet paper was also expected.

"If they don't want them, then we don't give them?" Regional Commander Li Chengli flipped through a stack of Treasure Notes, narrowed his eyes, and said, "They have to want them even if they don't want them, and they have to use real gold and silver to exchange for them!"

In the second year of Wanli, the Guangdong Regional Commander Zhang Yuanxun sent his subordinate Li Chengli to Chaozhou Prefecture to suppress the Japanese pirates entrenched on the islands overseas. Li Chengli was defeated. Yin Zhengmao dismissed Li Chengli. Later, Li Chengli made repeated contributions in the process of attacking Manila, Cebu, and Mindanao, and only then became an Assistant Regional Commander again, transferring from Luzon to Nagasaki.

The appointment and removal of officials in the Luzon Viceroyalty were subject to the court's orders, which was consistent with the Yunnan Qian State Duke's mansion receiving the King's orders.

The current Li Chengli could already take charge on his own. In several "Ikki rebellions," Li Chengli was always the first to charge. The security battles of the last two years were all fought by Li Chengli. He was speaking from the perspective of strength.

Treasure Notes—Japan didn't want them, but they had to want them, and they had to use real gold and silver to exchange for them!

"Tomorrow I intend to send people to invite the heads of the Mori, Chosokabe, Kono, Tokugawa, Hojo, Uesugi, and other clans to Nagasaki, in the name of the King of Japan, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, to discuss the Treasure Note matter." Xu Wei looked around and made a decision.

When the Shipping Bureau Eunuch Wang Chao heard this, he thought for a moment and said, "The radish seal of Ashikaga Yoshiaki from last time is already rotten. Let's carve a new one."

The seal of the King of Japan of the Muromachi Shogunate was bestowed by the Great Ming. It was very reasonable for the Great Ming Nagasaki Viceroyalty to carve a new seal for the King of Japan. Last time, they had already used a radish to carve one.

"Okay." Xu Wei nodded and said, if they were willing to come, that would be best. If they weren't willing to come, then Xu Wei would have to summon the heavenly soldiers and generals, ask the Duke of Shouli, Chen Lin, to bring the five-masted ocean-crossing ships, and kick down their doors to tie them up and bring them over.

"The most difficult one here is Oda Nobunaga. He wants to be the 'Man of the World' (Tenka-bito), so I'm afraid he won't give us this face." Censor Luo Yinghe said with some concern.

"If everyone else comes and he doesn't, then he can't be the 'Man of the World' anymore." Xu Wei laughed indifferently. Before, these warring states daimyo feared Oda Nobunaga's prestige and recognized his status as the "Man of the World." Now that the Great Ming had arrived, if Oda Nobunaga didn't come, he would fall behind and no longer be the "Man of the World."

Prestige is something you can't see or touch, but it truly exists.

On the 16th day of the 8th month of the 9th year of Wanli, the Nagasaki Coastal Defense Inspection Office sent twenty-four water-flying ships, rigging hydrofoil sailing ships and flying the Big Dipper flags, toward the major shogunates.

Xu Wei, as the Great Ming Envoy and Viceroy of Nagasaki, was to summon the daimyo on behalf of the King of Japan on the first day of the ninth month in Nagasaki.

To go or not to go—this was not a question. These warring states daimyo had no choice but to take the hydrofoil sailing ships and bring two attendants to Nagasaki.

Setting aside the direct military threat of the Great Ming, although the five-masted ocean-crossing ships performed armed patrols once a year—called exercises, but actually deterrence—it was a real, visible threat.

Setting aside the military threat, how could they do business with the Great Ming if they hated the Nagasaki Viceroyalty? All the daimyo of Japan had to complete trade with the Great Ming through the Nagasaki Viceroyalty.

With one word from Xu Wei, they would have to eat chaff and drink thin gruel, so they had to come.

The power of economic restraint was gradually being revealed. As long as Xu Wei didn't want their lives, didn't let them die, and didn't make excessive demands, they had to agree. Before leaving, the daimyo all hugged their families and gave their final instructions, fearing that they would be killed in Nagasaki for some strange reason.

Xu Wei had been actively preparing. This time, he requested twenty daimyo to come and discuss the Treasure Note matter. It was both for issuing notes and for trade. This kind of large-scale trade fair would be held once a year. The Great Ming had accumulated goods this year that needed to be sold, and they also needed to determine the quotas for the coming year.

The daimyo's perception of the Nagasaki Viceroyalty was extremely complex. On one hand, the Nagasaki Viceroyalty was originally their territory in Japan, and now it had become an overseas viceroyalty of the Great Ming. This was clearly the Great Ming's revenge for the Japanese pirate raids during the Jiajing era. On the other hand, this trade fair was actually a disguised tribute trade.

Before the establishment of the Nagasaki Viceroyalty, Japan only had tribute once every ten years, and it was stipulated that there could only be two ships, and they had to be two-masted Japanese ships. For this tribute once every ten years, there was even a farce of Japanese envoys fighting for tribute during the Jiajing era.

But now, there could be tribute trade once a year. This made Japan's attitude toward the Nagasaki Viceroyalty complex and contradictory: they didn't want the Nagasaki Viceroyalty to exist, but they were afraid that the Nagasaki Viceroyalty would really leave.

The trade fair was postponed, from the first day to the ninth day, eight days later than the agreed date.

The reason for the postponement was that the Duke of Shouli, Chen Lin, was bringing three five-masted ocean-crossing ships from Songjiang Prefecture to the Nagasaki Viceroyalty. Upon receiving the news, Xu Wei immediately chose to postpone it. Chen Lin was coming for military deterrence. A twisted melon is of course not sweet, but it quenches thirst.

Oda Nobunaga came because his main enemies were all in Nagasaki.

Mori Motonari of the Mori clan on the west side, Chosokabe Motochika on the south side, Uesugi Kagekatsu of the Uesugi clan on the north side, and Hojo Ujinao on the east side—these were all enemies on Oda Nobunaga's path to conquering the world. Oda Nobunaga had to come. If he didn't come, and these families formed a third "Nobunaga Encirclement Net," Oda Nobunaga wouldn't be able to bear it either.

Xu Wei was seeing Oda Nobunaga for the first time. He brought two attendants and came to the Viceroyalty to pay a visit.

With a shaved head (chonmage), any handsome face would look strange. His nose was high and prominent, he had a mustache under his nose, and he wore a white-inside, blue-outside *shitatare* (formal garment). The strangest thing was that Oda Nobunaga wore a red cloak, the kind worn by Western kings.

Oda Nobunaga kept a group of missionaries in Kyoto. At first, the Japanese didn't know where the "red-haired barbarians" came from, so they called them "Southern Barbarians." His cloak was a gift from the missionaries.

A very alternative style of dress.

But the daimyo were used to it. In the eyes of the daimyo, Oda Nobunaga was a demon king, so it was not surprising that his dress was alternative. There were rumors that before Oda Nobunaga inherited the family headship, he liked to wear women's clothing and was called a beauty along with his sister, Oichi.

"King of Japan, Man of the World, Oda Nobunaga, meets the Great Ming Envoy." Oda Nobunaga did not kneel. Clearly, he knew that wanting to get support from the Great Ming was impossible, so Oda Nobunaga was not polite at all.

Xu Wei smiled and didn't care too much. His first feeling was that Oda Nobunaga was very arrogant and quite dismissive of others.

"Sit." Xu Wei signaled Oda Nobunaga to sit. He didn't have too much reserve either and took out the Great Ming overseas Treasure Notes and had someone place them in front of Oda Nobunaga.

Xu Wei looked at the Yongle Tongbao family crest on Oda Nobunaga's shoulders and said, "This is a Treasure Note. In the future, it will be the currency circulating in Japan."

"Our Japan has its own currency. Don't trouble the Upper Kingdom." Oda Nobunaga didn't open the box. He knew what was inside was Treasure Notes and directly expressed his opposition.

"Is it these? The Yongle Tongbao cast by a usurper? Do you have the Great Ming's permission to cast our Great Ming's Tongbao?" Xu Wei shook his sleeves, threw a dozen copper coins in front of Oda Nobunaga, and sneered, "This money is not even as good as flying money in our Great Ming."

It wasn't that Xu Wei was humiliating him. Oda Nobunaga's private casting of Great Ming Yongle Tongbao as currency had extremely poor craftsmanship. It was round and square, but it was neither round nor square, and it was two sizes smaller than the Great Ming's Tongbao. Yongle Tongbao was cast with red copper, tin, and zinc, while the money Oda Nobunaga cast was bronze, which was poor in quality and light.

Great Ming mother coins were frequently repaired to ensure the characters were clear, but Japan's cast "Yongle Tongbao" lacked the step of repairing the characters, and even the characters couldn't be seen clearly.

How could this kind of broken money have the nerve to bear the two characters "Yongle"?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 453 =====

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