Chapter 505 4. The Creditor Comes to Collect the Debt

The troops were light and advanced quickly. Anyway, they had returned to their own territory. The troops recruited on the spot were allowed to leave the team and go home on their own. The food had been eaten up, and it was impossible to keep the army.

After returning to Yamanouchi, the troops of Hamamatsu were disbanded on the spot and they went home.

The people under Fuchu Castle were naturally very happy. Ten thousand Shinano people were brought back by Kobayata. The originally lifeless castle town was full of reunion laughter.

The previous haze was swept away, and a one-year agreement was also signed. Under normal circumstances, there would be a year of recuperation time. The Kanto battle was lost, but the Yamanouchi family did not lose. As long as people were alive, it was fine.

Others were happy, but Kobayata was not happy. The official warehouses of the entire Fuchu Castle were completely empty. To put it bluntly, now even the food rations for the regular foot soldiers in the city could not be guaranteed.

"How did it come to this?"

Sitting in the castle and checking the accounts with the chief accountant Yamanouchi, Kobayata felt more and more disappointed. The reserves of Hamamatsu had been completely emptied by Kobayata, and even more than half of the official salt had been given out.

Originally, I thought there would be a little in the palace, so that I could hold on until the end of the summer harvest, and then I could breathe again. When the autumn harvest and rice come down, there will be more ways to maneuver.

The key point is that in addition to rice, the annual tribute in autumn also has money. Various miscellaneous taxes can always get tens of thousands of kan, so there is always enough money to do anything.

"How many days can it last?"

"Ten days at most..."

"Ten days! The military rations of the Yamanouchi family can only supply the castle for ten days!"

Kobayata has been away for more than two months, and the accounts have been ruined to this extent without taking care of them.

"The mint mint mints dozens of kan every day, where is the money?"

"Mu La brings in 600 kan every month, where is the money?"

"Mashino Gold Mine can produce 10 taels of gold every day, where is the money?"

Kobayata slapped the account book and slammed it heavily on the table. The Tongxin and Yuli were trembling with fear and dared not speak.

"After Danzheng went to Hamamatsu, the government was short of money and grain, and the expenses for the departure of the concubines could not be embezzled. You personally handled the salary before the New Year, and it really emptied the treasury."

"Then what? You used the money for the next two months out of thin air!"

"This..." The Yuli looked at the Yamauchi chief accountant sitting next to Kobayata and did not dare to answer.

"Don't make it difficult for them, I borrowed 5,000 kan from the house!"

"Borrowed a debt!"

Kobayata couldn't believe that the dignified Yamauchi family could fall to such a state and borrow money.

"How much interest? How many years?"

"Three and a half cents interest, one quarter." Yamauchi chief accountant said slowly.

The quarterly interest rate is 35%! (It is said that the short-term loan of the French king during this period was 50% interest for half a year, which was really scary.)

Five thousand kan and three months with interest of 1,750 kan!

"How can I borrow this! How can I borrow this!" Kobayata never thought that he would cause such a big mess when he was away.

"It takes money to go out to collect concubines, and we have to prepare reward money. There is really no other way."

"So you have to borrow money? Even if you embezzle your official funds, you can't borrow money. If you borrow the money, you will be doomed!"

"There is really no other way!" Yamauchi Shukei still said this.

Silence!

"Why are you angry? It's just 5,000 kan. What does it mean to you?"

Hearing the voice, Zuzaemon walked into the official hall, as if he was familiar with the road, and no one stopped him at all.

"Are you here to collect my debt?"

Kobayata looked at Zuzaemon, and the unity and strength dispersed, leaving a way for Zuzaemon to get out.

"No, no! With Danzheng's character, it's just a mere 5,000 kan, how could he refuse to pay? Just report Fujiwara Danzheng's name and take it to Sakai, and you can easily raise 30,000 or 50,000 kan."

"Who said that Danzheng can make a lot of money with just one word!"

"Sukezaemon wouldn't come here to flatter him, right?"

Looking at the increasingly generous Sukezaemon in front of him, Xiao Pingtai knew that he would definitely come here for no reason. Five thousand kan is naturally just a small amount for Naya. But it doesn't seem right to use it as an introduction so casually.

"Your family has already repaid me 1,000 kan before, and I can completely refuse it, but..."

"Just say it."

"Danzheng's persimmon lacquer should have matured."

Yes! After spending a huge amount of money and delaying it for four years, the first batch of persimmon lacquer should have matured! The high-quality persimmon lacquer, which is worth 100 coins per pound, has been silent in the warehouse for a long time.

"You want the monopoly!"

"Let's be frank! From now on, I, Naya Sukezaemon, will be the general merchant of Yamauchi persimmon lacquer!"

The raw lacquer of Hida, Kii and other countries has long been controlled by other merchants and temples, and Naya will not be allowed to intervene. And Yamauchi persimmon lacquer has just begun to be produced. As a product with quality that is not inferior to raw lacquer and can be freely adjusted in color, it will be twice as profitable even if it is exported to China.

"Sukezaemon is really good at calculating!"

"It's just business, there are still 20 days left on the loan period of 5,000 kan. The Yamauchi family will never default on the debt."

"Three years!"

"Ten years!"

"Five years!"

"Eight years!"

"Not counting this year, six years!"

"Deliver now!"

"Heiroku! Get the key and open the warehouse now!"

The heavy hardwood door of the semi-underground fireproof warehouse made of Taigu stone was pushed open. The air in the warehouse was not the slightest bit of rottenness, but a kind of greasy sweetness, even too sweet.

After a short wait, several people walked in. Buckets of persimmon lacquer were neatly stacked from bottom to top, and had never been disturbed for more than three years. There was only a thin layer of dust on the barrels, which looked exactly the same as when they were first placed in.

Sukezaemon was obviously well prepared and inspected the goods on the spot. He randomly selected a bucket of persimmon lacquer, poured it into the wooden barrel, added safflower, ink, and indigo respectively, and stirred them well.

The originally translucent persimmon lacquer quickly changed color after adding the pigment. After stirring it well and applying it on the wooden board, it not only had no pungent smell, but also had a faint fruity fragrance.

The lacquer color was rich and the luster was soft. It was indeed similar to the best raw lacquer. It was a first-class special product.

"Tanzheng, thank you for letting me! Hahahaha!"

"Alas, I can't do business better than you after all."

"How many barrels are there in this warehouse?" Xiao Pingtai called the errand boy who was watching the warehouse.

"Ten jin per barrel, about five thousand barrels, three warehouses of ripened ones."

"Okay, got it."

Xiao Pingtai remembered that in the first year of harvesting persimmons, there were more than 500,000 jin. At the beginning, a hundred jin cost less than two cents. Although it was cheap, he didn't expect that only a few hundred thousand jin of persimmon lacquer were produced in the end. The lacquer yield rate is not very high, no wonder there are so few people making it.

"Zukezaemon, I hope you manage it well and don't tarnish the reputation of my Yamauchi persimmon lacquer."

"Hahahahaha, when it comes to marching and fighting, governing the country and the people, I am not as good as you, but when it comes to marketing products, exchanging what you have and reselling them all over the world, you are definitely not as good as me!"