Chapter 100: Bargaining

The price of copper in Great Ming is roughly eight fen per catty. Twenty thousand catties of copper at Great Ming prices would be worth only sixteen hundred taels. Even if made into good coins with a seven-copper three-lead ratio and sold wholesale, doubling the profit would only yield two or three thousand taels. Chen Xin had originally planned to buy at least three hundred thousand catties of copper, but now he could only get less than a tenth of that.

Chen Xin and Song Wenxian exchanged glances — their grand fortune-making scheme had taken another hit. Seeing their expressions, Li Guozhu explained, "Japanese copper mostly comes from the Iwami Silver Mine, commonly called Japanese copper. It has not been refined and contains some silver. Nowadays, too much gold, silver, and copper is flowing out, so the Shogunate has imposed restrictions. Getting twenty thousand catties is already quite good. The same goes for silver. Originally, the cupellation-refined Nanbing silver was the purest, but too much silver was flowing out, so a few years ago they set up a silver furnace in Nagasaki to recast it into Chogin. Now payments are mostly made in Chogin, and the fineness is somewhat inferior."

Hearing this, Chen Xin guessed that Li Guozhu was probably doing his own refining and unwilling to sell too much. He changed tack and asked, "Then does Young Master Li have any other goods here?"

Li Guozhu smiled and said, "Since Brother Chen has several hundred soldiers, you must need lead bullets, gunpowder, and Japanese swords. You could certainly buy some to take back. Japan's sulfur is actually superior to Great Ming's. As for Japanese dried seafood and the like, although the profit is not great, the quantity is large, so that is also an option."

Li Guozhu still wanted to sell the Japanese dried seafood. Chen Xin had little interest in it. The batch he bought last year — though Lady Zhao said it sold out within a month — sold at a very low price with almost no profit. Even selling it slowly would only yield slightly more profit, so Chen Xin had little enthusiasm. Japanese swords were even worse in terms of cost-effectiveness, costing at least several taels of silver each, whereas in Great Ming even a large blade made of steel would not exceed ten taels. The Japanese sword, with its short, thin blade, was no match in a proper pitched battle.

Lead and sulfur, however, were usable. Chen Xin lowered his head and calculated: if his firelock bullets weighed eight or nine mace each, ten shots would be one tael. If he expanded his army with several hundred arquebusiers, each firing ten shots would consume dozens of catties. And his own plan was to train frequently, ideally with live ammunition, so lead consumption would be considerable. Also, making private coins required adding large amounts of lead. Great Ming had plenty of this too, but since there was little else worth buying, he had no choice but to buy some to take back. Still, the more copper the better — not only for making counterfeit coins, but also for casting cannons later. After all, bronze cannons were much lighter than iron ones and had better ductility.

Thinking this far, he exchanged a few words with Song Wenxian, then said to Li Guozhu, "In that case, let us buy more lead and sulfur — twenty thousand catties of lead and five thousand catties of sulfur."

Li Guozhu said, "That makes forty thousand catties of goods, still less than ten thousand taels in cargo value. Brother Chen has two ships — besides loading silver, there will still be much empty space. Would you consider buying some Japanese dried seafood?"

Chen Xin truly had no interest in this Japanese dried seafood. Smiling, he shook his head, his mind still on copper, and began a roundabout approach. "I shall look at other goods these next two days. If nothing suits, I will consider the dried seafood." Then, lowering his voice, he said to Li Guozhu, "Last month I read the court gazette. It said that Zheng Yiguan has grown increasingly rampant, capturing the Zhongzuo Garrison last year. I wonder if your esteemed friend was harmed?"

At the mention of the name Zheng Yiguan, a cold gleam flashed in Li Guozhu's eyes, but he quickly softened his expression. Cupping his hands to the two, he said, "Thanks to Brother Chen's warning last year — just after you two left, I sent my household servant Shinsukeemon to rush to Fujian. Zheng Yiguan captured the Zhongzuo Garrison in the tenth month last year and indeed conducted a city-wide search for that friend of mine. My servant took my friend away ahead of time. Otherwise..." Li Guozhu let out a breath. Xu Xinsu was extremely important to him; he addressed Xu Xinsu with the honorific of an elder. Relying on his vast network and channels, Xu Xinsu could supply him with many goods. Although Zheng Yiguan was now causing trouble at sea, a few ships still managed to come through each year, serving as a vital source of income for Li Guozhu. Without this route, his strength would be greatly affected.

Chen Xin put on a relieved expression. "Then I am at ease. After reading the gazette, I have been worried for Young Master Li ever since. When I went to the capital this year, I heard court officials mention the matter of offering amnesty to Zheng Yiguan. Young Master Li must have your people be even more careful and withdraw to places farther from the sea."...

Song Wenxian knew Chen Xin had not gone to the capital and was only bringing this up to increase their bargaining leverage. He chimed in from the side, "I also heard about this. That Yu Zigao suffered a great defeat against Zheng Yiguan last year and is certain to be imprisoned and punished. Even a scion of a military family could not defeat Zheng Yiguan. Now Fujian has no other capable generals, and Zheng Yiguan has grown too powerful to control."

Li Guozhu said helplessly, "For now, I can only have my friend lie low for a while. Although he is deeply entrenched in Fujian, he cannot influence court affairs. Since Brother Chen once said that Zheng Yiguan's foundation is unstable, I shall wait for him to show weakness, then strike a killing blow."

Chen Xin shook his head. "Brother Li, forgive my meddling, but doing nothing at all is not a good strategy either. Your friend can restrain him in Fujian's official circles, but you also need someone to help in the imperial court. At a critical moment, a single word can decide Zheng Yiguan's life or death. Right now, I have already established a connection in the capital. This person will soon hold an important post, and entering the cabinet as a Grand Secretary is also possible."

Song Wenxian feigned sudden realization and said, "Brother Chen means that person." He knew Chen Xin was referring to Wen Tiren, but he did not believe for a moment that Wen Tiren could enter the cabinet and become Grand Secretary. His expression was merely meant to bolster Chen Xin's persuasiveness.

Li Guozhu looked at the two, half-believing and half-doubting. Of course, he could not casually ask who this person was. Moreover, he knew very few officials in the capital and found it hard to fully believe. That Chen Xin had several hundred soldiers was plausible, but to say that in just one short year he could go from being an accountant to someone who could sway court opinion was truly hard to credit.

Song Wenxian let out an "Ah," slapped his head, and explained, "I forgot to tell Young Master Li something. The reason Brother Chen was able to be promoted to Battalion Commander last year was all because of the Eunuch Faction affair."

Li Guozhu did know about Wei Zhongxian's downfall — after all, other sea merchants came to Nagasaki and Hirado, and such major news spread quickly. Somewhat surprised, Li Guozhu asked, "Could it be that Brother Chen played a part in that?"

Chen Xin smiled and nodded, saying, "I merely happened to be there at the right time. Not worth mentioning."

Song Wenxian then recounted in detail the story of Chen Xin publicly denouncing Cui Chengxiu. After hearing it, Li Guozhu burst out laughing. When he finished laughing, he said to Chen Xin, "Brother Chen is truly no ordinary man. It is a pity you are a military officer; otherwise, every faction in the court would probably be trying to win you over."

Chen Xin smiled but said nothing, maintaining a modest demeanor. After hearing the story, Li Guozhu's estimation of Chen Xin rose another notch. With such a reputation, and at a time when the purge of the Eunuch Faction and the redistribution of benefits were underway, it was entirely possible that officials in the capital would befriend a vanguard of the anti-eunuch movement to demonstrate their stance.

Seeing his attitude soften, Song Wenxian struck while the iron was hot and boasted wildly, "Brother Chen not only has a name — at the start of this year, he exterminated a band of fierce bandits. With just over sixty soldiers, he took more than a hundred heads. Now he already has seven or eight hundred troops and is about to be promoted to Garrison Commander of Wendeng Battalion. With Brother Chen's skills, in the future, these three guards and one battalion will be convenient everywhere. Besides Mazi Harbor, Weihai Guard and Chengshan Guard have countless fine harbors. Young Master Li has his own ships. If Fujian becomes inconvenient in the future, you could certainly come to the Wendeng area to trade. It would be one more road to wealth."

Li Guozhu was finally moved. He had seen the few soldiers beside Chen Xin, and they were indeed different from ordinary street-fighter bodyguards. If all seven or eight hundred troops were like that, they could contribute some strength in dealing with Zheng Yiguan in the future.

As for going to Wendeng to trade, he would not do so for now. In maritime trade, the southeast offered higher profits — for example, sugar, deerskin, and tea. The profit on sugar could reach two hundred percent. But now, with Zheng Yiguan stirring up trouble in the southeast, the sea routes were open one moment and cut off the next. Zheng Yiguan was also specifically targeting Li Guozhu, and in the past two years he had lost quite a few ships and cargoes. If one day Zheng Yiguan truly managed to blockade the open sea, his ships would have to sit idle. Having a local power like Chen Xin to provide convenience — even if the profit margins were lower — was an acceptable alternative.

Li Guozhu held his teacup, slowly sipping at the rim while pondering. What Chen Xin and Song Wenxian did not know was that it was not just the Dutch and Zheng Yiguan now entrenched off the coast of Fujian — there were also the Spanish, who occupied Jilong and Danshui in northern Taiwan. The interested parties were even more numerous: Great Ming, pirates, Spain, the Netherlands, England, Portugal. These parties had conflicts and dealings with one another, and the relationships were extremely complex. What worried Li Guozhu most now was that, besides these parties, even Japan wanted to stick a foot into Xiaoliuqiu (Taiwan) and seize a piece of territory — and the place they had their eyes on was precisely Dayuan, currently occupied by the Dutch....

According to what Li Guozhu knew, the Nagasaki Daikan Suetsugu Heizo was the person most eager to seize a piece of territory in Dayuan. He was both the Nagasaki Daikan and a merchant. He instructed a samurai named Hamada Yahei to gather over a dozen natives near Dayuan, then went to the Edo Shogunate to lodge a complaint against the Dutch. The reasoning he used was utterly absurd — he argued that the Dutch had arrived in Dayuan later than the Japanese, so they should not occupy Dayuan Harbor, which rightfully belonged to the Japanese. The dozen or so natives he had captured swore solemnly that they wished to bestow the sovereignty of Dayuan upon Japan.

The Dutch's trade interests were greatest in Japan. Suetsugu Heizo hoped the Edo Shogunate would pressure the Dutch into giving up Dayuan Harbor in Xiaoliuqiu (Taiwan). Relying on Suetsugu Heizo's powerful influence over the Edo Shogunate, the Shogunate had already refused to receive the trade representatives of the Dutch East India Company, but had not accepted the natives' gift of sovereignty over Dayuan. Suetsugu Heizo continued to stir up trouble. Although Li Guozhu tried to mediate, he clearly lacked the influence that Li Dan had once possessed.

Because of Li Dan's connections, Li Guozhu had good relations with the Dutch. In his early years, Li Dan had been enslaved by the Spanish for several years as punishment, so he was at daggers drawn with the Spanish. The Dutch, the rising European power, were also enemies of Spain, so Li Dan had always maintained good relations with the Dutch. This tradition continued, and Li Guozhu had extensive cooperation with the Dutch in reselling goods. Many of Xu Xinsu's goods were also transshipped via their ships, so the Dutch were his important partners and source of goods.

According to the information Li Guozhu now possessed, that Hamada Yahei was a samurai, a merchant, and an audaciously bold man. The supportive attitude of the Shogunate and Suetsugu Heizo seemed to have emboldened him completely. This year, this man had already organized over four hundred people and several ships in Nagasaki, bought a large cache of weapons, and set out for Dayuan just in the fourth month, intending to strike a blow against the Dutch.

Upon learning of Hamada Yahei's movements, Li Guozhu sent word to the Dutch through the Dutch trading post in Hirado, hoping the situation would not spiral out of control.

But this matter was far beyond Li Guozhu's control. With Japan joining the dogfight, the situation off the coast of Fujian grew increasingly complex. If the Netherlands fell out with Japan because of this and the Shogunate restricted Dutch trade, this source of goods for him would be cut off. The larger backdrop within Japan was that the Shogunate had begun to suppress Catholicism, and relations with the red-haired devils had been steadily declining. Add to that Zheng Yiguan, that slippery cutthroat who might accept amnesty at any moment, and Li Guozhu felt a deep sense of unease, unable to eat or sleep in peace.

Chen Xin was naturally completely ignorant of these fine historical details. He and Song Wenxian had merely stumbled into the right approach, promptly offering Li Guozhu a choice that was not ideal but worth considering. More importantly, Chen Xin's performance made Li Guozhu believe that Chen Xin had great prospects for development, so he felt compelled to make some investment.

Li Guozhu would naturally not tell them the reasons behind the scenes, lest he elevate their negotiating position. He looked at the calm-faced Chen Xin and said flatly, "Then I thank you both. When the time comes, I may have to trouble Brother Chen."

Chen Xin thought he had persuaded Li Guozhu. He made a few modest remarks and agreed wholeheartedly.

As part of the transaction, Li Guozhu naturally had to offer some benefits. He asked the two, "From the moment I met Brother Chen, I knew he was no ordinary man destined to remain in a pond. I just did not expect it to happen so quickly. And I felt an instant kinship with you both. If there is anything I can help with, you two must not stand on ceremony."

Chen Xin had long been waiting for these words. Everything he had offered was intangible, relying entirely on Zheng Yiguan to hook Li Guozhu. Now that the fish was on the line, he naturally wanted to secure as many benefits as possible. He quickly fabricated a story in his mind, then cupped his hands to Li Guozhu and said, "Brother Li has long been a sea merchant and surely knows why I am buying copper. That high official in the court I mentioned earlier — relying on reputation alone is not enough to build a relationship with him. Coincidentally, he also owns a money shop. This private coin business is the best path. If I could get a bit more, my relationship with him would grow closer, and only then could I put in a word in the future."...

By saying this, he linked the copper purchase to dealing with Zheng Yiguan. Li Guozhu looked at Chen Xin for a long moment and finally said, "Then I will try to arrange for more. Brother Chen will have to wait a few more days."

"Many thanks, Young Master Li. This year, it would be best to have over a hundred thousand catties."

Li Guozhu, ever the merchant at heart, smiled and said, "However, regarding this Japanese dried seafood, Brother Chen must also buy some."

Chen Xin cursed inwardly. Li Guozhu was obsessed with the dried seafood and insisted on reducing the silver outlay. This item had low profit margins and required an extra step to offload. But since he needed a favor, he would buy some — a certain amount, anyway. He would find some old customers through Lao Cai to sell it off when the time came.

Seeing this outcome, Song Wenxian also breathed a sigh of relief and made a promise on Chen Xin's behalf: "When the time comes to deal with Zheng Yiguan in the future, we two will certainly lend our aid."

Li Guozhu looked at Chen Xin, and Chen Xin also wrote a blank check: "As long as Brother Li gives the word, my two ships will surely arrive."

Li Guozhu smiled and nodded, picked up his cup, and savored a sip of tea together with the two. He personally refilled their cups. Chen Xin, however, could not taste the difference at all and had no idea how Song Wenxian could discern that it was Da Hong Pao.

Having finished discussing the goods, Chen Xin's mind was still on Xu Xinsu's goods network. But Li Guozhu might not be so quick to build that bridge. He thought over his wording and cautiously probed Li Guozhu, "Now that Zheng Yiguan dominates the open sea, if your esteemed friend's goods cannot be shipped out, they could be sent to Tianjin. I also have some interest in doing business on the Grand Canal."

Li Guozhu thought for a moment. As long as Chen Xin did not have a Vermilion Seal for crossing the sea, there was no conflict with his own commercial interests. Xu Xinsu's goods naturally had his own channels. He assumed Chen Xin wanted to buy sugar and tea leaves from Fujian. He nodded and agreed, "I will pass this on to my friend. This matter is not up to me. If he agrees, I will inform you how to proceed. But the journey is long, and I do not know when there will be a reply."

Seeing that he had agreed, Chen Xin finally had a chance to connect with Xu Xinsu. He cupped his hands to Li Guozhu and said, "Many thanks to Young Master Li for granting this."