Chapter 2038: Chapter 1489: Mori no Kiyoshi’s Farewell! Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty!
Layers of clouds resembled light ink, pushed by the cold wind, slowly approaching from the Northern Country’s horizon towards the southern sky. A faint shadow enveloped the northern waters, gradually covering the longship by the shore.
The way ahead was filled with low-hanging shadows, like the deep abyss beneath Buddha’s gaze. Several dozen Japanese, Korean craftsmen, some chanting scriptures with devotion, some crying in despair, stumbled along or sacrificed themselves to the tiger. In this manner they crossed the Korobetsu River, traversed the Ezo lands of Luwei and wild grass, bidding farewell to all that was past, and boarded the Shandan sea boat akin to the Sanzu River. Those cries echoing from afar prompted the compassionate Master Juehui to lower his eyelids and let out a soft sigh.
"Namo Miao Fa Lotus! All beings are attached, all beings suffer. This is the cycle of fate, a calamity promised by Buddha! After overcoming this calamity, the door of infinite light will open upon the demise of all faithful believers... Namo Amitabha Buddha! Infinite light, infinite life..."
"Namo Amitabha! Tathagata..."
Having said this, Master Juehui, filled with genuine emotion, recited the Rebirth Mantra once more for the devout believers who sacrificed their bodies to feed the tiger while boarding the Shandan sea boat. After completing this act of merit, he felt a sense of ease, and whispered with compassion.
"Eighty-one craftsmen, a thousand and eighty bushels of rice, and a damaged slow-moving merchant ship... With these burdens, the Shandan fleet will surely sail slowly!..."
"Once this Shandan fleet leaves the coast, separating from the Shandan cavalry and tribal warriors ashore... my Tiantai Sect’s large ship for naval warfare will easily capture the Yuan Invasion’s sluggish low ships, a reenactment of history!..."
"These Yuan Invasion’s Golden Clan are indeed affluent! Such a massive transaction of hundreds of jin of gold casually pulled out, without needing to fetch money, has exceeded my expectations... I wonder how much gold is stored in their large ships? Where is their tribal camp, and how much startling hidden gold is there, how many are guarding it, can we seize a good amount? And if we capture their chieftain nobles and extort a large ransom..."
Thinking of these delightful prospects, Master Juehui’s lips curled, and his eyebrows grew kinder. Of course, he did not harbor greed but aimed to resist Shandan, exorcise evil, defend the True Dharma out of responsibility to Buddha and the mountain gate! Moreover, more pressing was that obtaining this large sum of Shandan gold in time could catch next year’s significant trade, the once-a-decade grand trade! Just by investing the gold into it, anyone investing will triple their returns! One lucrative trade can feed for ten years...
"Namo Amitabha..."
"Even if clear and rainless, deep in the clouds still touch the clothes... Zu Sang, look, isn’t this truly a season as clear as spring, with mists as dreamy as illusion! To have such a meeting in the Ezo North Sea at this time is truly magnificent!..."
The sunlight vanished among the clouds, shadows draped like a thin veil, gently encompassing the merchants by the Great River. Mori no Kiyoshi lifted his head, glanced at the sky blending clear and cloudy, his smile impossible to conceal. Feeling delighted, he recited a couplet from Tang poetry, which fittingly matched the occasion. Then, turning over the ledger in his hand, he laughed and counted.
"Zu, let me recite this transaction’s ledger for you! Tang’s Book three hundred and fifty sets, totaling five thousand and forty-eight volumes. Calculating a hundred volumes per jin of gold, totals fifty jin of gold. Rice, one thousand and eighty bushels, calculated at one jin for fifty bushels, equals twenty jin of gold. Salt, one thousand and eighty jin, let’s estimate five jin of gold casually as a supplement. Swords, bows, and armor, one thousand and eighty pieces, mainly three hundred sets of Iron Armor Doumaru being valuable, totaling seventy-five jin of gold. Finally, there’s a damaged merchant ship, twenty jin of gold..."
"Books, rice, salt, military equipment, ship—these five items add up to one hundred and seventy jin of gold, right?..."
"Indeed, the Chief Divine blesses! Mori, the salt you brought this time is of excellent quality. For the next trade, I hope you can bring more salt! We will pay extra! "
"Ah, yes! The next transaction..."
Mori no Kiyoshi politely smiled, bowed respectfully to the "Golden Wealth God," and skirted around the topic of the next transaction. Then, flipping through the ledger, he spoke of the highlight of this transaction, also the most profitable part of the gold trade, "the craftsmen!"
"Buddha witnesses! In this transaction, we brought eighty-one craftsmen. Korea Medical Master accounts for fifty jin of gold..."
"Woodworking category: five major craftsmen, specializing in building foundations, repairing houses, temples, castles. Six Object Pointers, specializing in wood processing, repairing furniture, cabinets, drawers... Metalworking category: five casting masters, casting copper bells, iron pots, and farm tools. Four swordsmiths, crafting ordinary knives and weapons... Textile category: weaving weavers, dyeing workers, embroidery workers, four each, all from a village in Omi specializing in weaving, able to collaborate well... Ceramics category: pottery workers, tile workers, excavation workers, four each, all invited together from a town market... Lacquer carving category: three Lacquer Workers skilled in making lacquerware, three Carving Workers skilled in carving... Plus leather category, two tanning workers. Printing category, two Korean woodworkers. Shipbuilding category, two ordinary Korean shipwrights...
"In total, fifty-four craftsmen, with skills priced between five to ten jin of gold each... Hmm, let me calculate mentally, totaling... four hundred and two jin of gold, I’ll round it to four hundred jin of gold for you!..."
