bookbashuk Page 60
Page 60
First, miners would visually identify the locations of silver ore in the tunnels, then use sledgehammers and chisels to slowly chip away at the silver-containing rocks, placing them in bamboo baskets and carrying them out. During this process, they had to pay close attention to the texture of the rocks, carefully following natural contours to ensure efficiency; otherwise, they risked damaging their tools and causing collapses. This step was called "digging."
Next, the excavated stones are ground into powder using a mortar and pestle. During this process, those that are clearly not silver-free are manually removed, and the rest are soaked in a large bucket of clean water. The mixture is stirred repeatedly and then left to stand, allowing the metal and stone sand to separate into layers. However, this process is far from sufficient. It requires repeated stirring to remove the coarse parts, continuously eliminating and screening, retaining only a small amount of the essence, until finally obtaining a slightly shiny "mineral meat." This step is called "selection."
Then, the selected ore is placed in a special furnace, covered with a large amount of charcoal, and burned for several hours, then cooled overnight to obtain a sintered slag. Lead is melted in the furnace, and the slag is then immersed in the liquid lead. The silver dissolves, while impurities float on the surface and can be easily brushed away. This finally yields a silver-lead mixture. In another furnace, the mixture is heated to an extremely high temperature while air is introduced. The lead combines with oxygen to form a mist of lead oxide. After dispersing this oxide, relatively pure silver is finally obtained; this step is called "blowing."
The entire process requires workers to work hard for several days, and the equipment, fuel, and materials used are not cheap.
Moreover, each time they could only extract a mere few taels of silver from a huge pile of stones.
Shinzaburo was initially quite surprised to hear that the cost of silver mining was as high as 50%, assuming that the industry practitioners were deliberately exaggerating to embezzle funds. However, after experiencing it with Hasegawa Munehito, he understood that the process was indeed extremely complicated. Without professional guidance, it was truly impossible to manage.
During this time, Ikeda Katsumasa, the young master of Ikeda Castle, came to visit again. Out of curiosity, he insisted on going into the smelting workshop, but was immediately driven back by the extremely high temperature. He forced himself to watch for a while, and seeing the workers working tirelessly on the furnace, he repeatedly sighed that this job was really not easy.
With only 50% of the cost, there's not much to say.
However, in terms of value, it is still profitable.
Shinzaburo dared not interfere with the professional details, but patiently focused on managing logistics, leaving all production issues to Hasegawa Munehito.
Finally, in early November, the first rough silver nugget was seen.
Although it is only a small piece, it has great historical significance.
Subsequently, we saw a continuous stream of coarse silver pieces of varying sizes and shapes being produced.
Shinzaburo specially cleared out the most sturdy room to use as a storage warehouse. He arranged for the most stringent guards to watch over it on rotating shifts.
Don't be fooled by the fact that that piece of coarse silver is of ordinary quality and only the size of a soybean; it can already be used as currency in the market and has always been the most attractive item to thieves.
Of course, spending it directly would be a waste. Entrusting it to the professionals at "Silver House" to have it made into standardized silverware, stamped with the merchant's name and year, provides a certain degree of authoritative endorsement and allows for the extraction of greater value.
Shinzaburo didn't have any connections in this area, and since Hasegawa Munehito had previously made a request, he entrusted the entire matter to him, essentially paying him off with a fire-related fee.
They certainly won't lose out on this junior apprentice introduced by Imai Munehisa.
However, after deducting the costs of equipment, fuel, and craftsmen's labor, the silver merchant still has to make a profit, so it's unlikely to be an exorbitant one.
After operating the silver mine for half a month, they collected a small basket of crude silver. Hasegawa Munehito immediately sent a message to the silver shop in Sakai Town, informing the silver shop they had previously contacted to come and pick up the goods.
Their molds, personnel, and processes are readily available, making them highly efficient; the only thing needed is to determine the purity.
The merchant brought a small team to handle the transaction. After a series of inspections and discussions, the basket of coarse silver could be exchanged for ninety-three silver coins. Each coin was worth approximately one string of cash and two hundred cash.
Hasegawa Munehito agreed, and Shinzaburo did not question it.
Since I don't understand it myself and don't plan to manage the mine long-term, I might as well show that I trust the people I employ.
Based on this number, Shinzaburo recalculated.
At the current scale, while simultaneously mining copper, the silver mine is estimated to generate approximately 1,800 strings of cash in revenue annually, leaving 900 strings after deducting costs. Adding to this the 300 strings profit from blister copper, the total comes to 1,200 strings. After deducting worker welfare and transportation costs, making 300 to 500 strings is not a problem. Furthermore, there is room for further expansion.
The service at the Sakai-cho Ginya was quite good; perhaps considering it was a long-term partnership, they contracted out the round-trip transportation.
A few days later, Shinzaburo saw the first harvest from the new mine: ninety-three silver coins. They were all neat ovals, thin as a sheet of rice paper, with the weight written on the front and the silver shop's name and the year of manufacture printed on the back.
So, how exactly should we spend it?
Shinzaburo himself had received a generous gift from Mori Takamoto, so he wasn't short of money for the time being. Considering the morale of the workers, he took twelve coins as bonuses.
There are exactly 120 workers, and 10 workers share one. As for how to distribute them, figure that out yourselves.
If you were to actually convert it into copper coins and distribute it, it would lose its meaning.
Hasegawa Munehito had already received his share of the spoils, so there was no need to consider him. However, Shinzaburo still gave him a brand-new silver coin as a souvenir.
The remaining eighty coins were not intended to be pocketed, but rather to be used as the first batch of "transportation money." According to the originally agreed proportion, three-quarters, or sixty coins, were to be sent to Akutagawa Castle and given to Miyoshi Nagayoshi; the remaining quarter, or twenty coins, were to be sent to Yodo Castle and presented to Hosokawa Ujitsuna.
In their previous letters, the two bigwigs said they would be satisfied with 300 strings of cash a year for "transportation money".
If we still rely on mining copper, earning three hundred strings of cash will be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
But now that there are new silver veins, it's a piece of cake.
While Feijiaowenwu can provide short-distance transportation services for such high-priced goods, it's unwise to be complacent without prior insurance. However, actually buying insurance adds unnecessary expense.
Besides, how can we entrust such a prestigious task to someone else?
Therefore, Shinzaburo did not intend to make a request, but instead planned to make a trip to Akutagawa Castle and Yodo Castle himself.
Ideally, I should meet Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Hosokawa Ujitsuna in person. Only then can I emphasize to the outside world—this silver mine was painstakingly unearthed by me, Kubo Yoshiaki, the Tanba Zhongkui!
113. Forming a "Mine Protection Team"
Shinzaburo personally delivered sixty small silver coins to Akutagawa Castle. Although he did not meet the busy Miyoshi Nagayoshi, he did meet the second Miyoshi Yoshihiko and received a warm welcome.
Yoshiyuki Miyoshi was still a fifteen-year-old boy at the time, his childishness still lingering. He imitated adults, speaking in a serious and deliberately mature manner, which was somewhat comical.
Of course, Shinzaburo did not laugh.
Then he went to Yodo Castle and gave Hosokawa Ujitsuna twenty small silver coins.
The governor was in Kyoto dealing with matters related to the change of era name and was not at home. Koizumi Yamashiro no Kami Hidekiyo was asked to receive him.
They were very friendly and showered me with compliments.
That's obvious.
How can you be rude to someone who comes to your door with money?
I could have taken the opportunity to visit Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto and meet with Takemura Hidetoshi and his party from the Shingu faction.
But on second thought, it would be better to wait until Master Mingzhou returned, settled the follow-up matters of "attacking the Utsu clan," and had a clear battle plan before trying to win them over.
It's a bit awkward to have people here now, but there's nothing for them to do.
So they went straight back to the Tada copper mine.
But I never thought——
During the few days I was away, the mine was harassed by bandits!
As soon as Shinzaburo appeared, Hasegawa Munehito and several miners, known as "Sata-men," came out to greet him with grim faces. They said that the night before last, more than a dozen men in black had sneaked in, smashed the warehouse door, and stole some silver before running away.
The miners, following instructions, set up patrols and immediately spotted the thieves, issuing a loud warning. Many of the miners then woke up and, armed with hammers, pickaxes, axes, and shovels, surrounded and attacked.
However, those men in black were exceptionally skilled and had outstanding martial arts abilities. They managed to break through the encirclement and interception of more than a hundred miners, carrying the stolen goods, and even killed two people and seriously injured seven others.
Shinzaburo only realized his oversight after hearing about this.
During the chaotic Warring States period, a silver mine was discovered; how could we not strengthen our defenses?
Hasegawa Munehito frowned in reflection: "I thought Settsu Province was the core territory of the Miyoshi family, so there shouldn't be any lawless scoundrels. I never expected this..."
Shinzaburo had no choice but to suppress his emotions, first comforting the deceased's family and then visiting the seriously injured before gathering clues and analyzing the case.
This analysis is bad.
The dozen or so men in black seemed more like elite warriors from a nearby martial arts world than fellow martial artists, given their swift movements, clear objectives, and decisive breakout.
On that day, Ikeda Katsumasa, the young master of Ikeda Castle, a neighboring town to the south, came to visit. Upon hearing about the matter, he made a judgment without hesitation: "Within a half-day's walk around here, besides my Ikeda family, there are also the Nose and Shiokawa families. They have always been opposed to the Miyoshi family. If they send people to cause trouble at the silver mine, I am not at all surprised."
Shinzaburo was puzzled: "Since he has always opposed the Miyoshi family, why didn't Lord Miyoshi Chikuzen wipe them out instead of tolerating their continued existence?"
Ikeda Katsumasa patiently explained, "After all, the Nose and Shiokawa families are both family lineages that have been passed down for hundreds of years. Lord Miyoshi Chikuzen could not bear to let their lineage end. When we defeated them before, we only confiscated some of their territory, ordered the head of their family to commit seppuku, and then set up a new one before stopping."
Shinzaburo shook his head and said, "The newcomer may not necessarily be convinced because of this; on the contrary, he may continue to be hostile with hatred."
Ikeda Katsumasa hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Our Ikeda family is similar in social standing to the Nose and Shiokawa families. To be honest, my father and I are quite pleased with the generous treatment that the Miyoshi Chikuzen family has shown to traditional samurai families."
Shinzaburo stopped talking.
He is neither qualified nor willing to comment on Miyoshi Nagayoshi's policies and guidelines.
People are responsible for their own rise and fall.
Shinzaburo is currently only in charge of the mines beneath the Tada copper mine.
Previously, I didn't feel comfortable talking to the Shingu Party members because I didn't have a specific goal, but now I do have one.
He immediately wrote a personal letter and had "Flying Kick Inquiry House" deliver it to Tofukuji Temple in Kyoto, telling Takemura Hidetoshi and the others to come and help protect the mine as soon as possible, and that their salary would remain the same as before, one kan per person per month, which is twelve kan per year.
The wounded and their families can remain in Dongfuji for the time being, and arrangements will be made later when a larger base is available.
If I remember correctly, the Shingu faction currently has over twenty surviving members, fourteen of whom are capable of fighting. With them around, the previous thieves, whether genuine outlaws or samurai in disguise, are no longer a fatal problem.
However, this also means an additional huge expenditure of 168 strings of cash.
With mines around, this isn't a problem.
The current situation is that there are too many mines and not enough people. All that's needed is to add more miners and increase mining efforts.
But how do you find employees?
Shinzaburo thought long and hard, but he couldn't recall ever seeing any "job market" or "recruitment fair" anywhere nearby. Ordinary farmers, with their own land, would only occasionally take short-term jobs and wouldn't easily abandon their families and livelihoods to change professions. Refugees were an option, but their physical condition might not be suitable for working in the mines.
In those days, organizing more people to mine seemed to require mobilizing nearby rural areas, offering tax and corvée reductions in exchange for villagers' participation. However, Shinsaburo didn't have that authority.
Going to Miyoshi Nagayoshi about this would seem like making a mountain out of a molehill. Moreover, it might involve the delicate relationship between Hosokawa and Miyoshi, potentially causing unexpected trouble.
Besides, Shinzaburo never intended to serve as the mining magistrate for long.
Is there any way to hire some temporary staff?
Since you don't understand, seek help from a professional, such as Munehito Hasegawa.
Hasegawa Munehito replied without hesitation: "If you want to find skilled craftsmen, you can only ask your colleagues for introductions; if you just need some strong young men to do the hard work, you can just buy them."
Buy?
What does that mean? Does it mean that a systematic slave trade existed in 16th-century Japan?
Hasegawa Munehito explained it again, and Shinzaburo finally understood.
They were not buying slaves, but prisoners of war captured during the war through "human hunting and indiscriminate capture".
After prisoners of war were captured, those who could afford to pay a "body fee" could leave after paying the fee; those who could not afford it could only be handed over to temples, shrines, or merchants at a discounted price, either to work as debt repayment or to be resold.
It seems that in the prevailing view of this era, it is justifiable to make people do hard labor for a period of time to pay off debts. However, long-term enslavement and personal restraint are contrary to the natural order.
Basically, for about a thousand dollars, you can buy a young man from places like Ishiyama, Sakai, or Kyoto, have him work in the mine for a few months, and then release him. It's a sure-fire way to make a profit.
Shinzaburo thought this method seemed feasible, so he asked Hasegawa Munehito to implement it.
On second thought, since the goal is to expand production and increase the mine's profits, why not recruit some combat-capable ronin under the guise of a mine protection team?
In this way, once Master Mingzhou returns to Kyoto and arranges the exchange of benefits behind the scenes, he will be able to take up a post in the border region and immediately lead this army to fight.
When it comes to ronin (masterless samurai), Kyoto and Sakai are naturally the most common places in the Kinai region.
However, in Kyoto, many of the men are descendants of impoverished noble families working in the arts and culture sector, or using their connections in the court and temples to become political brokers. Ronin with martial skills seem to prefer gathering in Sakai-cho, seeking work as merchants' "yoshibou" (a type of slang term for a powerful, influential figure).
In Kyoto's "Uekyo" and "Shimokyo," the townspeople spontaneously formed patrol teams to maintain order; while in Sakai, over a hundred wealthy merchants joined together to hire a well-equipped force of three to five hundred men, each armed with a musket. It was said that joining that force guaranteed a lifetime of security.
But most people definitely won't get such a good position. Among those who weren't selected, there might be some who are quite capable, and we could try to recruit them.
Perhaps some ronin samurai, mindful of their status, would not easily accept invitations.
However, those who have already arrived in Sakai Town to compete for the position of businessmen's bodyguard probably don't care about saving face anymore.
114 Recruiting soldiers and buying horses
As planned, Hasegawa Munehito quickly brought back dozens of prisoners of war who could not afford to pay their indemnities. They were said to be from the low-intensity war in the Yamato and Kii regions some time ago.
These people were relatively strong and not as dull and listless as ordinary farmers. They were probably "underground people" who did not have a surname but possessed certain property and status.
Reputable samurai can always find relatives and friends to pay for their release, while poor commoners are not worth capturing.
Those who live underground, like Shinzaburo two or three years ago, shouldn't lack the money to buy their freedom. How did they end up like this? Perhaps they were pitiful children who weren't valued by their families.
Their prices are all marked as usual. However, because Hasegawa Munehito was a "group purchase" this time, he enjoyed a 10% discount.
Dozens of young men had their hands tied with ropes and were being watched by only three or five people. They showed no intention of escaping or resisting. Instead, they were more interested in bargaining and hoped to save enough ransom to return to their hometowns as soon as possible.
They do have a unique sense of "following the rules." Japanese people always seem very "orderly" in some peculiar places.
In the Tanba area, the daily wage for short-term laborers is generally six to eight mon for the elderly, women, and children, and ten mon for men.
Shinzaburo originally intended to follow this standard, but the prisoners of war cried out in despair after hearing it and begged for it to be raised.
Hasegawa Munehito also quietly came over and whispered in his ear, "It would be better to calculate at least twelve mon in Settsu Province. In port towns like Amagasaki and Nishinomiya, the market price is even fourteen or fifteen mon. It would be inappropriate to lower it too much."
Shinzaburo wasn't stubborn and readily agreed, announcing to the group of dozens of people: "Considering that Lord Hasegawa has gone to great lengths to speak up for you, the rate will be increased to twelve mon a day. You all should hurry up and thank him!"
Most of the prisoners of war found this acceptable and obediently bowed and said, "Thank you, Lord Hasegawa."
A sparse, scattered sound.
But two people stood still and remained silent, seemingly expressing their dissatisfaction.