Chapter 61 Five, heroine Ah Qing
Ryoma Sakamoto was stunned when he heard that Aqing invited him.
"You actually agreed?"
he asked Mutsu.Although Oura Kei is a unique woman, she is also a rare master of man control. Even Matsukata from Satsuma and Okuma from Hizen Saga are willing to rub their backs for her. It can be seen that these two people have completely disappeared in front of her. bone.
"Does Ah Qing want to turn me into her bath worker?"
"Well, it should be." Mutsu smiled calmly.Mutsu is young and curious.He was curious to know how Ryoma would deal with this problem. "If Sakamoto Ryoma, who has ambitions for the world, becomes Kei's bath worker, it will be an incredible sight. Be sure to report to Otome-san in her hometown."
"I rubbed my sister's back."
"In that case, you're well-versed."
"No, that happened when I was eleven years old. Sister Gao Zhuang, I can't finish rubbing, almost crying."
"Ah Qing is petite."
"Who said I'm going to rub Ah Qing's back?"
"No, I understand what you mean. Anyway, let's put aside the topic of rubbing A Qing's back, or accept A Qing's invitation."
"Hmm..." Ryoma rubbed his nose, wanting to rub his nose whenever he hesitated.
"If not, I will break my promise to Ah Qing. The so-called gentleman has nothing to say, if you don't go, sir, I will break my promise."
Ryoma didn't blame Mutsu for his recklessness, he didn't want to hurt Lutsu's self-esteem because of this.Moreover, Ryoma also wanted to get close to Aqing, the largest businessman in Nagasaki.Since Guishan Trading Company is also engaged in trade, it is not a bad thing to keep in close contact with Ah Qing.Rather, he really wants to get close to Ah Qing now.
However, people like Sakamoto Ryoma shamelessly flirted with Aqing, and finally became Aqing's man. Because of being Aqing's best friend, Kameyama Trading Company received Aqing's assistance.If the world were talking like this, he, Sakamoto Ryoma, would never be able to lift his head up again.
"What are you going to do?" Mutsu asked.
What a nonsense, Ryoma looked at Mutsu and thought, is this kid obsessed with Kei? "Understood." He said bluntly, "Write a letter to Ah Qing immediately, and say to visit tomorrow night."
"That's right!" Mutsu clapped his hands happily, "This is what I admire about Mr.! To be honest, if Mr. refuses this matter, I will definitely laugh at you in my heart. It's just a woman's invitation. Forget it, I dare not promise, I am really impatient.”
"You are also a person with a brain." Ryoma's face became a little ugly, and he rubbed his forehead vigorously, and his forehead turned red.
Tosaya in Nishihama Town, where Ryoma handles business, is located on the banks of the Nakajima River.The next evening, Ryoma was dealing with business, and the river outside the window was high tide.
"It's time." Mutsu Yonosuke, who had just come down from Kameyama, walked in wearing a black crepe kimono coat.Ryoma took out the watch from his waist and looked at it. The hour hand was indeed pointing to five o'clock.This watch was given to him by Samo's fifth generations, and it is made in England. "It's five o'clock," he said mockingly.
"You don't need to look at that kind of watch, you can tell the time just by the smell of the tide."
"It's indeed five o'clock." Ryoma liked this new gadget very much. "Mutsu, here's a gun for you." He opened the drawer of the western-style desk, took out a brand new pistol, handed it to Mutsu, and gave him two more boxes of ammunition.
"What's wrong?"
"It was given to me by the five generations of Satsuma."
"But I don't need it. I'm a little man, and no whim wants my life yet."
"You take it first."
There are some reasons for Ryoma to say this.He took out his rusty pistol from his arms, stuffed it into his clothes, and only brought Mutsu Mori Yoshiyuki.
The two went out, and soon arrived at Aqing's mansion in Oura Town.Ah Qing came to the entrance to meet them, and personally led the two of them to the Qingfeng Pavilion with a lantern.
After a while, the banquet began.
"I'll have a few drinks today too." A Qing asked her "servant boy" to fill up the wine for her.
Ryoma and Aqing exchange views on trade.
"It's boring to only do tea business. Wajima's lacquerware is very good. I showed samples to foreigners, and they all agreed. However, Wajima is the territory of the Kaga domain, so I couldn't get any goods. "A Qing said. "At such a critical moment, three hundred famous people will jump out to block my way of making money." Ah Qing dared to say it.Indeed, in the eyes of people like Ah Qing, the feudal system has hindered the development of the cause. "Japan obviously has huge business opportunities, but businessmen are helpless under the current system."
"Madam A Qing means that the country must be destroyed and rebuilt?"
"From the standpoint of us businessmen, that is the case."
"However, if you let the shogunate know that you said such a thing, Mrs. Aqing, you will be beheaded."
"I'll be fine. Originally, my public identity was a businessman, but my real identity was a master who wanted to win the world." Aqing giggled.Ryoma has a feeling of being teased.
Ah Qing gradually became drunk. "No need to be formal," she murmured.After getting permission from the guests, she opened the golden fan and danced.
As for what kind of dance he was dancing, Ryoma couldn't tell.One "servant boy" played the shamisen for her, and the other sang a ditty.
After dancing the song, Ah Qing slumped softly in front of Longma.
"Give me a glass!" She asked Ryoma for a glass.
"Madam Ah Qing can really drink."
"I'm a Nagasaki woman, how can I lose to Tosa's country samurai?" She drank the wine in the glass effortlessly and handed the glass to Ryoma.Long Ma was too drunk to taste the wine, but Ah Qing was still sitting there.
"Continued Cup."
"I don't see that your body is so petite, but you can hold so much wine." Ryoma poured wine for her.
"Thank you." Ah Qing brought the wine glass to his lips with both hands, and drank it without hesitation.She was already drunk, but she was quite graceful when drunk. "I'll give you a glass in return." She poured wine into the glass and said, "Let's stay here tonight."
"Huh?" Ryoma responded in a daze, looking at her.
"I like you."
"me too."
"You lied." Ah Qing got angry, "I'm serious."
"Me too. I've always been serious."
"Always serious? Is it like this with every girl?"
"I'm also very serious when dealing with men. But for some reason, people think I'm not too serious."
"What I say is my business, I don't care what other people do."
"I'm drunk. Mrs. Aqing, let's do a foreigner's dance. Can you dance?" After speaking, Longma took Aqing's hand and stood up.After Ryoma came to Nagasaki, he learned the dance of foreigners.The one who taught him to dance was Oort, an Englishman who opened a business on the streets of Oura Kaigan.
"That requires an accompaniment." A Qing also studied in Shanghai, so he knows a little bit.
"You play the tune of the dance in a very slow rhythm." Ryoma said to the "servant boy".After a while, he and Ah Qing jumped up, but they couldn't dance well.
"What is this hard thing?"
"pistol."
After the two asked and answered, they couldn't help laughing, and the dancing was over.Kei became impatient because Ryoma always didn't respond to his wishes, so he turned to Mutsu.Mutsu's appearance is somewhat similar to that of a foreigner, with fair skin and a straight nose. He has the most correct appearance in the trading company.She sat next to Mutsu and started drinking.
Later, Ryoma got up to go to the bathroom, and walked out of Oura's house without going back to the banquet.
The next day, Mutsu Yonosuke returned to Tosaya. "How is it?" Ryoma asked.A rather embarrassed look appeared on Mutsu's face, but he didn't say anything.Longma didn't mention Aqing anymore.Several days passed like this.
Afterwards, Mutsu Yonosuke was occasionally invited to meet Aqing.
On the fifth day, it was a cold night, and Mutsu returned to Ryoma's room at Osone's house. "Mrs. Aqing is really a strange woman." Lu Ao said.
"Why did you say that?" Ryoma asked.
It turned out that Ah Qing heard about the current difficulties of the trading company from Mutsu, and even said that in this case, she lent the trading company three hundred taels of gold.
"Three hundred taels?"
Now that he can take a breather, Ryoma thought to himself, the money is enough to pay the long-term hired watermen.
"It would be great if I could have so much money, but it seems that I still can't see the ability to repay it."
"She said that when we have the strength, it will not be too late to pay back the money, and she also said that there is no need to pay interest."
"This kind of money is terrible." Longma smiled wryly.He knew in his heart that accepting this kind of money would not do any good, maybe Da Puqing was planning to take Guishan Trading Company as his own.
"I can't accept this kind of money."
"No, no, there is no conspiracy behind this money, Ah Qing just wants to help Guishan Trading Company."
"This kind of businessman must not be taken lightly. Just like a samurai has a samurai way, a businessman also has a businessman's rules. The so-called businessman's rules are that when lending money to others, the interest, repayment method and guarantee must be clearly defined, and there must be no ambiguity. A savvy businessman like Ah Qing should know this, but now, she is lending us money on such unbelievable terms, I can’t believe her.”
"No, you can believe it!"
"Strange, why do you always speak for her?" Long Ma said with a wry smile, "How do you want me to believe a loan that doesn't even require a guarantee?"
"This..." Mutsu seemed a little embarrassed, "We will pay the mortgage."
"Really? That way we wouldn't owe her a lot of favors. But the problem is, we can't offer anything."
"Have."
"No, no. This house is borrowed, so is the Kameyama Trading Company, and the Tosaya in Nishihama Town. Although we still have a little rice, we have to save it to fill our stomachs."
"I'm the mortgage."
Ryoma was stunned.He stared at the flushed Mutsu for a while, and then said with a smile: "It turns out that the collateral is you, a man. Hahaha, if that's the case, as many as you want."
"It's too much! For me, Mutsu Yonosuke, this is an important matter related to the dignity of a man!"
A woman with strange ideas like Ah Qing is really rare in the world.Even a resourceful person like Ryoma couldn't figure out what she was up to.Ryoma asked Mutsu to explain the matter in detail, only to realize that it happened last night.
"Lord Mutsu." At that time, Aqing spoke in the shadow of the lamp. "So far, I have done many things that others cannot do, but there is still one thing I haven't done." She had a pitiful little face, but said such words.
Really did a lot of rare things.Mutsu thought so too.Matsukata of Satsuma and Okuma of Hizen Saga can be regarded as resourceful generals in their respective domains.Use them as scrubbers, let them rub their backs, even their masters can't do this kind of thing.
"What do you mean by something you haven't done yet?" Mutsu asked cautiously.
"You clearly know." Qing poked Mutsu's cheek with his little finger.
"have no idea."
"Huh? Even Mutsu-sama doesn't understand? You said that what you are most proud of is that you are still smart."
"really do not know."
"Please think about it. Although I have the best scrubber in the world, I still don't have anyone I really like."
"Want me to be your green cake?"
"That's a good word, but it's just boring. I'm going to get tired of it."
These words can be said to ignore men at all.But being despised by her to such an extent, Mutsu felt happy instead. "What do you want to do?"
"I want to take a samurai as collateral." After speaking, Aqing couldn't stop laughing.
This is more excessive treatment than male pets, and it is completely out of the idea of not treating men as human beings.
"Besides, if it's just an ordinary samurai, it's meaningless. You always say, Mr. Mutsu, that Japan's number one wise man is Sakamoto Ryoma, and the second only to him is Mutsu Yonosuke. Since he is such a powerful young samurai, I really want to take you over as collateral."
"Hmph." Lu Ao couldn't get angry, looking at A Qing's face, he couldn't get angry at all.
Things were roughly like this, interspersed with some love between men and women. In the end, three hundred taels of gold were sent from Aqing to Longma.Ryoma happily accepted it.
In Nagasaki, people commented on Ah Qing: "Beautiful as a flower, with a heart as deep as the sea." Indeed, although she has a pure face that is not commensurate with her age, she is very deep in the city.She stayed with Satsuma and Hizen Samurai, on the one hand, out of lust, but on the other hand, she had a secret plan: to use Satsuma, Hizen and other left-handed warriors to help her business.Although she said that she didn't know how to respect Wang Zumu, she actually knew all about the secret negotiations between these big feudal clans and foreign countries.
"Sazhou and Hizen are cleverly managing their operations and conducting smuggling trade. I know all about it." She only said this to her confidant, housekeeper Xiao Songqiu.Komatsuaki is actually the illegitimate daughter of a family elder named Nabeshima in Hizen Saga. Since she couldn't bring her back to her homeland, Aqing took care of her.Because she was a learned woman, Ah Qing asked her to be her own clerk.
In short, Ah Qing is the person who is most familiar with the secrets of the smuggling and trade of the Xionguofan.Some of these secrets and news were heard by my bedside, and some were known in the business field.
When Satsuma and the Hizen Saga Domain were unable to blatantly conduct transactions with foreign companies under the nose of the shogunate, they would pass through the hands of Kei.They will carry out the smuggling trade by selling in Ah Qing's shop.Of course, during the transaction, Ah Qing's shop will get enough money.
Those who monitored the smuggling trade were members of the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office. These people were all local officials, so they had already been recruited by A Qing.The smugglers arrested by these officials were all craftsmen and small businessmen who came in and out of the Dutch mansion, and they would never take action against a big businessman like Ah Qing.It is impossible for people like Ah Qing to be unaware of the movements of Ryoma and Kameyama Trading Company.
"The samurai has become a competitor." At first she thought so, feeling very unhappy.However, she later sent someone to secretly investigate and found that Ryoma's business methods were very different from hers.The trading company operates aboveboard. Using architecture as a metaphor, it is simply the difference between a castle and a merchant's house.And they even had warships.
She marvels, and becomes interested in Ryoma and his men.Once interested, this is her hobby, not only interested in business, but also interested in men.Once she saw Ryoma on the street, and when she came back, she grabbed Xiao Songqiu and muttered all night, "I want to sleep with that man!"
Mutsu Yonosuke is the replacement for Ryoma, but the replacement is also useful.From the private conversations at the bedside, you can get unexpected information, and you can also know the internal situation of Guishan Trading Company.
Mutsu is a very smart person.It seems that Ah Qing can't be careless, he gradually realized this.Although he wants to beware of her, he has no malice towards Ah Qing.Don't say it was malicious, at first the relationship between the two was just some eroticism, but after a long time, he actually fell in love with her.This may be because he is still young and ignorant of things.
One day, Mutsu said to Ryoma, "I seem to like Kei."
"Really?" Ryoma responded a little coldly.He has never cared much about other people's emotional problems. "Is Aqing interested in you?"
"Well, it looks like it's intentional."
"This is good."
"However, I can't stand such a powerful person." He told Longma what he had said privately to Ah Qing.
Satsuma, Tosa, and Hizen's men, and Akei have all slept with each other.Although Mutsu is a vagrant from Kishu, he has always regarded himself as a Tosa, so it is not unreasonable to classify him as a Tosa.
"It's just that there are no Changzhou people yet." A Qing said, "I really want to sleep with the Changzhou warriors."
"It's an evil idea."
When Mutsu said this, Aqing laughed brightly, and said another strange thing: "If Satsuma, Changshu, Tosa, and Hizen are all gathered together, this world will be mine."
"Thinking about it carefully," Mutsu said to Ryoma, "It is the idea of our Kameyama Trading Company to gather Qinwang's various feudal clans and establish a large trading company. However, Qing's goal is likely to be the same."
"Oh?"
"Judging from Ah Qing's city, she is very likely to want to seize the Guishan Trading Company."
"Huh?" Ryoma looked surprised, "Is she really like this?"
"Ah Qing has enough financial resources."
"And she still holds my clerk, Mutsu Yonosuke, in her arms."
"Please don't make such jokes. I am going for you, sir."
"Your substitute happily voluntarily delivered it to your door."
"Let's not talk about that for now." Mutsu said another proposal that he heard from Ah Qing's pillow.Such an important topic does not seem to be suitable for discussion at the head of the bed.The British who set up a business in Dapuhai had a western sailing ship for sale at an extremely cheap price of only twelve thousand taels. "Ah Qing said that she would buy that sailing ship for the Guishan Trading Company."
Ryoma was astonished.From this point of view, Ah Qing might really plan to seize the trading company.
Hearing the boat, Ryoma's chest was filled with excitement.It's like the eagerness of a hungry person to get food.
"It doesn't matter if Aqing takes it away. Anyway, I'm going to order the boat." Ryoma entrusted Mutsu with full authority to negotiate with Aqing, and he came to Oura Seaside Street the next day, wanting to take a look at the boat. boats for sale.There are seven or eight wooden bungalows standing on the coast of Oura.Passing through these buildings and arriving at the pier, I saw a white three-masted sailing ship moored at sea.Although even the top of the mast had been repainted with white paint, judging from the color of the rust on the ship, it should be a rather old ship.Even so, twelve thousand taels is very cheap.
Ryoma left the place where the boat was parked, and walked towards the Satsuma domain opposite the copper smelter.He had already learned that the young family member Komatsu came to Nagasaki from the Satsuma domain with a sword.
He met Komatsu.
"It's still about money." Long Ma was really hard to say.After all, the Prussian ship Julang purchased by the Satsuma clan for 7,800 taels sank to the bottom of the sea after only one voyage.
"It's okay, please don't be polite, just say it." A kind smile appeared on Xiaosong Dao's face.
"Actually, that's what happened." Long Ma repeated Ah Qing's suggestion.
"Oh? Da Puqing said that he would pay 12,000 taels?"
"Exactly. But let's not talk about the future. The foundation of the business company is still very weak. I don't want to accept too much money from someone, and it will plant disasters in the future."
"What Sakamoto-kun said is very true."
"But we need the money."
"Ok."
"So I came up with a plan." Ryoma began to talk about his plan.He intends to borrow money from Ah Qing for the purchase of the ship, but he does not accept it for nothing. The money will be gradually repaid through the work of the trading company in the future.Moreover, since you want to borrow, you need a guarantor. "I wonder if the Satsuma clan is willing to vouch for me?"
"Yes." Komatsu replied bluntly with a knife, "Sakamoto-kun, I believe in you. Satsuma will do everything in its power to help you, please don't be outsiders. However, it is useless to borrow money from others with only a guarantor. There is also a mortgage."
"The bought boat is a mortgage, but it is reasonable to say that a boat cannot be used as a mortgage. First of all, the boat will gradually age, and it may sink at any time. You should find something else as a mortgage. I will talk to A Qing about this. There will always be a solution.”
There has been a way for a long time, and the mortgage is Mutsu Yonosuke.Ah Qing would definitely agree.
Things went well, and Ryoma finally got a three-masted white sailing ship.The name of the ship is the Great Pole.
What a blessing to Ah Qing.Ryoma couldn't help being overjoyed, and even wanted to pay respects to Oura Town in the distance.
This Aqing is indeed a person beyond Ryoma's expectations. She will come to the trading company in Nishihama Town from time to time, claiming to go out to do some errands, and stop by to have a look, and always smoke two or three cigarettes He quickly got up and left.At the beginning, Ryoma would thank her for the matter of the Daigoku, so she changed the subject with a smile: "It's such a trivial matter, it's not worth mentioning."
Even though it was a trivial matter to her, the huge sum of twelve thousand taels was paid by Ah Qing after all.
I really don't know what this woman is thinking.People in the business company commented on her like this.Kei wants to establish a joint venture company of Satsuma, Choshu, and Tosa by manipulating Ryoma, or is it just because he loves Mutsu Yonosuke so much that he took out 12,000 taels of "pocket money"?
Only once, she whispered to Ryoma, "Mr. Sakamoto." She looked at Ryoma with affection, and her eyes were enough to melt. "Sooner or later, Ah Qing will make Mr. Sakamoto my prisoner. Please be prepared."
Ryoma laughed out loud, but didn't answer.In short, the boat arrived.Longma hadn't been this happy for a long time.
He immediately announced the personnel arrangement: the captain Baifeng Junma, the first mate Nomura Tatsuro.The other idle guys in the club have their establishments.Seafarers are staffed by permanent hires.The cook used two "Ah Chas" that Ah Qing found.In Nagasaki, people from Daqing are called Acha.
To be careful this time, Ryoma decided to try hiring a driving instructor. "It's better to be a foreigner. Go find it." He ordered Ishida Yingji.Ishida brought back two strange foreigners who were Western sailors.One was a burly man named Nay; the other was a thin man named Hopkins.They are all from the United States, and it is said that they are the southern navy that was defeated in the domestic war.Although he is a soldier, he looks like a navy soldier.Nay has an exaggerated lion pattern tattooed on his right wrist, which he said was done by someone in Shanghai, while Hopkins tattooed a naked beauty on his belly.
"Nay's name is too unlucky. Change the name to Al." Ryoma ordered.Both of these two are unruly people who are hired in the East, but for some reason they are very obedient to Ryoma and call Ryoma "sir".
Ryoma has been thinking day and night how to use the only ship in the club, the Daigoku.One day, he came up with a plan.
Ryoma believes that he should make a lot of money by shipping the cotton from Kyushu to the east for sale.He knew that the American Civil War had caused the price of cotton to skyrocket worldwide.In Nagasaki, an international economic city, he exerted his keen sense of the current situation to the extreme.Now he is no longer that simple Beichen one-sword master, he has begun to grow into a trade tycoon that may be unique in Japan.
As the price of cotton rose around the world, foreign merchants began to purchase a large amount of cotton in Yokohama, causing the price of cotton east of Osaka to skyrocket one after another.Ryoma has already learned about this situation from the boat companies that he regards as a branch, such as Satsuma House in Osaka and Ito in Shimonoseki.
Cotton prices in Kyushu haven't risen yet.As long as the cotton is loaded on a Western sailing ship, as much as it can be loaded, and then transported to Osaka to sell, there will be doubled profits.Therefore, Longma made up his mind to do cotton business.He put both long and short knives in his waist at will, and went to visit A Qing.
"Mrs. Aqing, cotton is a good thing. It can make a lot of money. You pay, and we buy cotton." Long Ma briefly explained the reason, and then said, "We share the profit equally."
Aqing is a businessman after all, she immediately understood what Ryoma meant, and agreed immediately.
Soon, the clerks in Ah Qing's store and the warriors from the Longma Trading Company began to run around, buying up all the cotton that could be collected, and loading them on the Taiji.
On a cold morning with a clear sky, the Daigoku raised its snow-white sails and slowly slid out of Nagasaki Port.
I hope everything goes well, Ryoma stood on the pier, watching the white sail gradually disappear into the sky.Afterwards, he took Mutsu Yonosuke, Nagaoka Kenkichi, Nakajima Sakutaro and other talented young people to Nishihama Town.
Except for Ryoma, everyone else was wearing the uniform of the Kameyama Trading Company.
"The white trousers of Guishan came out." The people lowered their voices and announced to each other.Because the people of the Kameyama Trading Company often fought with the vassals of the Saba faction, "white trousers" has become synonymous with rude people in Nagasaki.
When Ryoma and his party walked to Honshime Town at the foot of Maruyama, they met Shojiro Goto of the Tosa Domain walking towards him with five or six subordinates.
There is a bridge between the two teams.The two sides met on the bridge.If it was normal, the two groups of people would immediately draw their swords at each other, staged a bloody fight between the sergeant and the countryman.
"Ah, I didn't expect you and I to meet here." Goto dragged his overweight body at a young age to the middle of the bridge, "I wanted to send someone to invite you. The results of the meeting were reported to the feudal kingdom, and after listening to the intentions of the feudal mansion, an idea came up. How about meeting tonight?"
"Okay." Longma said coldly.
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