Chapter 168 11. Helping Zuoemon to Establish Good Relationships
At this time, Naya Sukezaemon had not yet unified the red seal ship trade from Japan to Luzon and dominated the national business world. He was just a small Naya clerk, running errands to deliver goods to big customers.
Hearing the news, he first checked whether his clothes were clean and whether there was any dirt on his face and hair. Then he carefully smoothed his hair. He walked into the house quickly, and the two attendants also took the wooden box from Naya Hunnan and carried it in together.
After Naya Sukezaemon entered the house, he quickly observed the situation in the house. He saw Koheita sitting at the first seat at the bottom, and he knew that the main seat must be Yamanouchi Yoshiharu.
"Greetings to His Highness Yamauchi Urin (Right Guard Major General, Tang Dynasty name is Yulin Guard General), Lord Yamauchi Dianju (Left Horse Head, this comes from the Flying Dragon Dianjushi of the Tang Dynasty), Lord Zixiaoji Shiyou (Tanzheng Dachu, this official position should not be called this, the Tang Dynasty name should be like Dianzhong Shiyushi)." Sukezaemon has seen many nobles in Sakaimachi and Kyoto. He has seen pigs run even if he has not eaten pork. He is not a country boy who has never seen the world. He is very polite to meet.
"Get up, take out Tanzheng's Nanbando Armor for us to see." Yamauchi Yoshiharu also took a quick look at this young Tedai. He had just learned about Sukezaemon's life from Koheita. At the age of only 20, he was sent out to sell goods worth thousands of kanmon in the house. He must be no ordinary person.
Sukezaemon raised his head, glanced at Kobayata again, and greeted him. Kobayata smiled and nodded to him. Sukezaemon was even more courageous. He opened the wooden box that the attendants had brought in and took out the various parts of the Nanbando Armor, including the most important modified Milanese infantry breastplate.
"Is this custom-made? Let the servant Tansho try it on." Yamauchi Yoshikatsu was quite curious. He stood up, left his seat, and walked in front of Sukezaemon. Holding the straw folded armor woven with iron rings (I always want to complain. No matter what material it is made of, it is called straw folded armor. It might as well be called skirt armor.) He told Aji, who looked familiar, to put it on Kobayata.
The difference between the Nanbando Armor and the Nanban Armor is still quite huge. The Nanban Armor is a complete Western-style plate armor (according to records, the entire Japan should only have a complete European-style full-body plate armor obtained by the Tensho Youth Mission to Europe from the Governor of Goa, Portugal). Nanbando Gusoku mainly refers to the chest armor that is a replica of Western infantry plate armor or the original European-made breastplate armor. (There are only six genuine Nanbando Gusoku made with European infantry half-length breastplate armor, and they are all named and owned by people. Kobayata's piece can probably be called Japanese-made Nanbando Gusoku.)
In fact, Kobayata has been waiting for this Nanbando Gusoku for a long time, but after all, it was in ancient times. Now, it takes only two hours to fly from Sakai to Hakata, but now it takes more than ten days to send it from Sakai to Hakata in Kyushu and back, crossing the entire Seto Inland Sea.
But the wait is still worth it. Nanbando Gusoku can't be penetrated by a few stray bullets flying over, let alone arrows shot from ordinary round-trip wood bows, which can't even leave a mark on this Nanbando. Even if it is a powerful English yew longbow, it will be basically useless against plate armor. If a layer of silk is put inside the armor to offset the impact, then in the future, when on the battlefield, you will not be afraid of being cut or shot, and your survival rate will be greatly increased.
Kobayata spent a huge amount of money just to be safe. After all, most of the samurai now have to go to the front line in person. Although they may not directly participate in hand-to-hand combat, there is actually only one daimyo who commands and sits firmly in the middle of the army. Kobayata has fought so many bad battles for many years, and his status has become higher, but he still has to participate in the battle.
Soon, the shiny and dazzling Nanbando armor was all draped on Kobayata, which was quite heavy. Moreover, because the armor was completely customized according to Kobayata's figure, even small parts such as the gauntlet were extremely fit. This is the advantage of tailor-made. Kobayata is not afraid of growing taller at his age, and he can wear it for a lifetime if he maintains it well.
According to Kobayata's request, the other parts of the armor were made of six or more interlocking chain mail to prevent stray arrows, starting from the neck, from the chest to the thighs, and covered tightly. (There are also independent shin guards on the calves)
Except for the lack of a specially customized gaiters, this Nanbando is indeed very good-looking. (Gaiters are becoming more and more coquettish in the Warring States period, from being plain and unpretentious at the beginning to being unconventional later, just to show off!)
Yamauchi Yoshiharu saw that Kobayata looked very good in it, and after hearing Kobayata talk about the various benefits of Nanbando, he was also a little tempted, "What do you think, Taro?"
But this guy is a big shot after all, and it's embarrassing to say that he wants it directly, so he asked Yamauchi Yoshikatsu if he wanted to get one too.
"That's exactly what I want!" Yamauchi Yoshikatsu agreed very readily. How could a samurai refuse such good armor? He was now looking like he would have tried this on the spot if you, Koheita, weren't 1.45 meters tall and it didn't fit me, who was 1.6 meters tall.
"How much does a piece of Nanbando cost?" Yamauchi Yoshiharu also stood up. He touched the infantry plate armor that could completely protect against cannon fire from a distance and asked with a little appreciation.
"If you want to make it like Dansho-sama, it will cost about 70 kanwen and it will take at least half a year." Sukezaemon was a businessman after all. When he talked about business matters, he immediately became enlightened and even his tone became much lighter.
"Seventy kanwen, it's not cheap. Anyway, I really like it." Yamauchi Yoshiharu was not stingy with money for weapons and armor, and said that he could order one for himself and his son.
"No, no, since His Highness Yulin and the stable master need it, how can we ask for more money?" Sukezaemon immediately declined, repeatedly saying that he could give one to Yamauchi Yoshiharu and Yamauchi Yoshikatsu for free.
"You, a small assistant, have a good plan! Can you decide the money of 140 kanwen?" Yamauchi Yoshiharu became more interested. 140 kanwen is a huge sum of money. To put it bluntly, this money is enough to hire someone to assassinate Yamauchi Yoshiharu five times. (Nobunaga was once assassinated and injured by Sugitani Zenjubo with a cannon sniper. It is said that the cost of hiring him to assassinate Nobunaga was 30 kanwen of Yongle money.)
"Although I can't decide, I am willing to confiscate all my family property as compensation when I go back." Sukezaemon replied generously.
"Good! Good! Good!" Yoshiharu Yamauchi laughed.