Chapter 2695

Some things seem to be at a disadvantage, but in fact they are an advantage. But the advantage cannot be taken in vain, and a corresponding price must be paid. Who suffers the loss and who takes advantage, each side has a steelyard in mind to weigh the pros and cons. The point is that both Haihan and North Korea have

In this process, each of them got the benefits they wanted, which is the real reason for cooperation.

It's just that these exchanges of interests under the table will not be announced to the outside world in the form of announcements. Only a very small number of bureaucrats who have access to internal information will understand the secrets.

Of course, a newcomer like Zhu Zian who has just entered the official career has limited knowledge of international relations. Without Tao Hongfang to explain it in detail to him, it is still quite difficult to understand the twists and turns of interest entanglements on his own.

Difficulty.

But even if the two countries have reached a consensus, a lot of preliminary work still needs to be completed before the implementation of this matter can be promoted. The current trade data audit is one of them. Next, corresponding local institutions must be established to handle taxation.

Financial and accounting matters. However, these matters should no longer need to be followed up by the mission. The financial department will dispatch special personnel to take charge of it later. Maybe they are already on their way to Busan by now.

Zhu Zian said: "So, after completing the audit work, will the mission leave Busan?"

Tao Hongfang said: "There should be one more thing to do before leaving. It is rare for such a large armed fleet to visit the local area. I think the local government will take this opportunity to play a game of pretending to be powerful."

Zhu Zian said: "What do you mean, sir, that the Koreans want to use this opportunity to frighten the Japanese?"

Tao Hongfang nodded and said: "That Mr. Wen has arranged a time for us to meet with the leading figures of the local Japanese Chamber of Commerce. He hopes that we can stand as allies and put a little pressure on the Japanese to let them

North Korea can get more benefits from bilateral trade."

Zhu Zian couldn't help but smile: "They thought well. What they lost from us must be taken back from the Japanese!"

Tao Hongfang also smiled and said: "I can't help you with this. We are going to visit Japan next, and there are many things that need to be discussed with the officials. It would be good to get in touch with the Japanese first. By the way, you

I will take time to read the relevant information in the evening, and we will attend together when the time comes."

After the Haihan Mission arrived in Busan, they had been busy with official duties and did not take the initiative to contact the local Japanese Chamber of Commerce. The Japanese also did not choose to take the initiative. But the first one to be unable to restrain themselves was the local government. Seeing the Haihan Mission

They were already preparing to set off and there was still no movement, so they could only step forward and take the lead in organizing a meeting, trying to use Haihan's power to solve some problems between themselves and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce.

In the evening, Zhu Zian followed Tao Hongfang's instructions and went to find relevant information. He read and studied it all night, and he had a preliminary understanding of the situation of the local Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Busan.

Although the Chamber of Commerce is named after Japan, its actual structure is actually centered around Japan's Tsushima feudal lord, the clan, and all matters related to trade are basically decided by the Tsushima feudal clan.

The reason for such a strange situation is mainly due to Tsushima's unique geographical location. Tsushima's main jurisdiction is Tsushima and Iki Islands, which are located between Korea and Japan. Iki Island is closer to Japan.

The mainland, and Tsushima Island is located exactly in the middle of the strait, with its northern end only a hundred miles away from the Port of Busan, giving it unique trade advantages. With the help of this geographical advantage, Tsushima gradually controlled the maritime trade channels between Japan and North Korea.

It is worth mentioning that precisely because it is so close to the coastline of the Korean Peninsula and has close trade exchanges with both sides of the strait, the political stance towards Ma Fan is not particularly firm and has vacillated for a time in history.

In 1419, North Korean general Li Congmao sent troops to occupy Tsushima Island in the name of fighting against Japanese pirates. The island's ruler, Zong, accepted a North Korean official position and engaged in trade activities with Japan on behalf of North Korea for a long period of time.

But during the Imjin Japanese Rebellion in 1592, Tsushima Island became a frontline base for Japan to invade Korea. Toyotomi Hideyoshi used this as a springboard and led an army of more than 100,000 to attack Korea. The first battle was to cross the sea from Tsushima Island.

Invasion of Busan. At that time, North Korea lost most of its territory. If the Ming Dynasty had not sent troops to rescue later, it would have been destroyed.

The Tsushima Domain also sent troops to fight in Korea at that time. The Japanese army participated in the battles in Seoul, Kaesong, and Pyongyang and the Three Capitals. At that time, the feudal lord Zong Yichi personally led more than 2,000 feudal troops.

It once advanced to the area north of Pyongyang. It was not until Ming Dynasty general Li Rusong led his troops to Pyongyang that the Japanese army was defeated, and Zong Yizhi followed the large army to evacuate south.

However, after the war ended, Tsushima was also the first one to step forward as a peacemaker. After repeated mediation efforts, Soyoshi finally succeeded in reopening cross-border trade channels between Korea and Japan, and signed the "Trade Agreement" in 1609.

Keicho Peace Treaty".

Tsushima, as the only trusted intermediary between the two countries, firmly held the cross-border trade through the Korean Strait in its own hands, and the feudal lord Zong family also gained the prosperity and wealth that continues to this day.

The current feudal lord Muneyoshi is the grandson of Muneyoshi, and it is said that he is also a man of considerable means. After taking office, he not only vigorously developed industries closely related to trade such as shipbuilding and navigation, but also invested a lot of material and manpower to develop a business on Tsushima Island.

Dig a canal to open up the east and west coasts. In this way, merchant ships traveling between Tsushima Island and Busan Port will no longer have to circumvent half of the island before sailing to Asu Bay, the main port of Tsushima Island. This can shorten the voyage by more than a hundred

. However, the estimated construction period of this project is said to be more than ten years, and it is still under construction.

If it were not supported by considerable trade income, it would be tantamount to wishful thinking to carry out such a large-scale civil project that would last for several years under the conditions of Tsushima.

It can be seen from this that the feudal lord of this generation is a ruler with a long-term vision and is willing to invest a lot of resources to build large-scale projects that will benefit future generations. But if you look at it from another angle, it is enough to expose the Tsushima Domain's concern for transnational trade.

The degree of dependence on China is very serious, and it must continue to consolidate its geographical advantages through various means to ensure that its control over cross-border trade will not be lost.

Since Tsushima has acted as an agent for a considerable part of Korea's trade with Japan, this means that a considerable part of the profits from the trade process have flowed into Tsushima's pockets. And the Korean local government, as the administrator of Busan Port, has probably long since disappeared.

I am satisfied with this distribution method, but I have never had the means to change this status quo. The arrival of the Haihan Mission provided the local government with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Chapter completed!