Chapter 524 23. Hojo Comes to Ask for a Big Gun

Looking at the pair from the Hojo family with interest, Xiao Pingtai felt a little strange.

The older one is about 40 years old. He was the former lord of Xingguo Temple Castle in Suruga Province, Suruga County, and the current lord of Yamanaka Castle in Izu Province. He is a senior official of the Hojo family, a member of the Hojo family, and a family elder.

The younger one is about 15 or 16 years old. He has an ordinary appearance and a slightly pale face. He sits quietly. He has not said a word from the beginning to now, which is very well behaved. He is the son of Hojo Kyosho Daifu Ujiyasu, the younger brother of Hojo Sagami no Kami Ujimasa, and the younger brother of Udo Ujiyasu.

There is no such thing as visiting the temple for no reason. These two big guys must have something to do. Otherwise, they traveled through several countries, took a boat and rode horses, and spent seven or eight days. What's the point?

They nominally came to congratulate Suzumiya (including the deceased Yamauchi Yoshikatsu) on having another pair of children, so they should meet Yamauchi Taro and Suzumiya. But now Yamauchi Taro is just sitting on the main seat, looking at these two "enemies" who came from afar with his small eyes.

After all, more than two months ago, the Hojo family surrounded the Yamauchi family with 10,000 troops, ready to take advantage of the situation and destroy the Yamauchi. Now they can sit in Fuchū Castle and celebrate the so-called birth of a son.

The tutor Hosokawa Cainu, who was sitting on the other side of Yamauchi Taro, saw that Kodaira Taimitsu was smiling but didn't say anything, so she had to ask first.

"I wonder why your lord Sagami sent you two here?"

In fact, it was a random question. Although Hojo Ujinao stepped onto the stage of the Warring States period in advance, he was not even ten years old and was just a younger brother. Today's national affairs are mainly discussed and handled by his three powerful uncles and important ministers in the family.

The one with the greatest voice is naturally Oishi Ujiteru, who has the strongest martial arts and the highest reputation. Then there are Fujita Ujikuni, the lord of Hatagata Castle, and Imagawa Ujiki, the lord of Kokokuji Castle.

"The Nanman Oton used by your family in the previous battle of Tone River was extremely powerful and rare in the world. I am here to buy two of them."

"Don't you know that one Nanman Oton costs 5,000 kan? It doesn't look like you have 10,000 taels of gold on you."

"I heard that as long as the port is opened and the Nanman trade is exempted, can't you get one Nanman Oton?" Pinghe Shixu had obviously inquired clearly before and knew that this was conditional.

"Not so. Not only opening the port, but also demarcating areas for Nanman merchants to build trading houses, warehouses, stacks and merchant ship repair shops."

Kobayata finally spoke, telling Pinghe Shixu not to think about getting something for nothing.

"This is all right."

"What about building a Nanman Hall, allowing missionaries to preach, and not punishing the people who convert to Buddhism?"

"This matter..." Pinghe Shixu paused.

"We can talk about it again, and we are very sincere." Yongtu Shiyao, who had not spoken all the time, suddenly spoke.

"Oh? Could it be that Hojo Sagami-no-kami wants to convert to Nanmanism? That's a big deal. Hahahahaha..."

Another young man came, and Kobayata found that he had a bit of a bad taste and often teased these young men. In front was Yamauchi Yoshiyasu, and in the back was Utsuchiyasu.

Kobayata laughed out loud, and the other Yamauchi retainers also laughed. If Hojo Ujinao converted to Christianity, it would be equivalent to half of the Kanto Plain, more than one million daimyo lords, turning to Christ. Nowadays, if I remember correctly, there are less than four million people in England.

If Hojo Ujinao is blessed to convert, it is no different from the Hungarian King Stephen converting the whole country. It is a major event that can be recorded in the glorious history of Catholicism. It is possible that this Pope can directly help Hojo Ujinao to be canonized.

After all, in this day and age, if someone can lead more than one million or nearly two million people to convert, it is more powerful than any miracle.

"Let your envoy and the Christian missionaries discuss this matter. I, the Yamanouchi clan, am powerless and cannot help."

Anyway, the bottom line of the Jesuits is that if they want trade and cannons, they must open ports and preach.

No matter what you ask for, his prerequisite must be preaching! Without preaching, there is nothing!

Kobayata can be sure of this, so he can let the Hojo family go directly to the Jesuit missionaries to discuss it. Just open a port and want to cheat for cannons? Cheating for trade?

It's impossible. They are very smart. Kobayata didn't get it right at the beginning, let alone the two brothers of the Hojo family who didn't even know where Spain and Portugal were on the earth.

"Then can we ask the missionaries of the Nanman Church to discuss it in detail?" Pinghe continued to pull Yongtu Yao and consulted Kobayata.

William happened to be designing and building a wine cellar and winemaking workshop for Kobayata under the city, and he was in Fuchu Castle. According to the agreement of that year, he had the right to move freely and preach in the territory of the Yamanouchi clan.

However, he spent most of his time in Nanban Hall in Hamamatsu. It was heard that he might be appointed as the bishop of the Tokai region, and Hamamatsu Nanban Hall would be his seat.

After all, he had made great achievements in Hamamatsu, with thousands of believers, and opened up a new diocese for the Jesuits.

Soon, William was called into the city. Maybe everything had gone well recently, and Xiao Pingtai had laid the foundation for him to open up the Mikawa Diocese. The number of believers was increasing day by day, and the possibility of becoming a regional bishop was just around the corner. William felt that his efforts in serving God for many years had not been in vain and had been rewarded.

When people are happy, they are refreshed, and even their bones feel lighter.

"Father William." William, wearing a linen monk's robe specially sewn for him by believers, walked into the hall with a bright look.

After nodding to Yamauchi Taro and the important officials, William sat down skillfully. Probably when he was preaching, he often went to the homes of believers and sat on the floor to chat with his believers. He was already very familiar with this lifestyle and adapted to it.

"Grand Duke Yamauchi, good day, everyone!"

Taro Yamauchi also nodded to him, and Xiao Pingtai smiled and explained to William the purpose of Pinghe Jizhu's visit and the idea of ​​the Hojo family's willingness to negotiate.

"We have talked about this before in Musashi. The Jesuits will only open their arms to those who are willing to surrender to God."

After being in Hamamatsu for a long time, William's Japanese has become better and better, and he can already communicate with people using more difficult words.

"Is it necessary to preach without permission?"

"Yes!"

"For trade, a Nanban Datong must cost 5,000 kan?"

"Yes!"

"Then can you teach us how to use it and the skills of casting Nanban Datong?" Pinghe Jizhu was willing to agree to use the terrifying sum of 5,000 kan to buy a Portuguese gun worth only 300 kan.

"The East India Company only accepts spot gold payment!" William hesitated.

If there is a fool who would rather pay 5,000 taels of gold than accept preaching, he doesn't mind helping his brother Hess do such a big business. After all, the chance of encountering such a fool is really small, or it can be said that "one in a hundred".

"The important thing is whether the operation method and casting skills can be taught!"

"It costs extra money!" Father William said this sentence inexplicably.