Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

"Coming from the Capital City, entrusted by important figures, seeking the rare tributes of the world..."

The tea room was warm, with a red clay stove boiling an ancient ceramic pot, and a faint aroma of tea permeating the quiet room. Lord Nobuhiro watched Mori no Kiyoshi, who was prostrated on the ground, pondering in silence.

It was apparent that the tribute Mori no Kiyoshi sought was meant to be gifted. To whom? Given the current situation, it was naturally intended for the Ashikaga Yoshimi faction, about to enter and take control of the Shogunate in the Capital City. The reason for the gift seems to be that the major figures behind Mori no Kiyoshi had aligned with the wrong side in the disputes within the General's family. To gain forgiveness from the Yoshimi faction, they were compelled to curry favor by any means...

Of course, those were matters for the major figures in the Capital City, involving the powers of the world, beyond what a local tyrant and landowner of the Ezo land could mock wantonly.

With this thought, the anger on Lord Nobuhiro's face swiftly dissipated, as if it had never been. He then extended his strong hands and helped up the Kyoto merchant from the floor, speaking in a warm voice.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I understand your purpose... Come, rise first. The soup is ready, let's savor a bowl of group tea together!..."

Saying this, Lord Nobuhiro looked at his son. Kaozaki Mitsuhiro then, with a solemn expression, placed the tea cup by the fire to warm it first. In this Victory Mountain Manor in Ezo land, there were naturally no famous tea utensils like 'Inaba Tenmoku', 'Oil Drop Tenmoku', or 'White Tenmoku.' Even the fine porcelain of the Tang people was absent. The porcelain bowl in Kaozaki Mitsuhiro's hand was merely coarse porcelain produced in Kanto.

"Sit and sip the cool water, watch the swirling dust."

Lord Nobuhiro recited a line of Bai Juyi's poetry leisurely to open the scene. Subsequently, Kaozaki Mitsuhiro carefully placed the evenly ground tea powder into the tea cup, poured a little hot water first, stirring the tea powder into a paste. Then, he held a long-spouted ceramic pot in one hand, pouring a fine, steady stream of water, and with the other hand took a long-handled spoon to 'whisk and flick' in the tea cup. Soon, pleasant small bubbles formed on the surface of the tea soup, demonstrating the skill of 'matcha preparation'.

The Wa people's 'matcha preparation' undoubtedly originated from the Song dynasty of the Celestial Empire. Later, the Japanese style matcha also derived from this. Now, at the end of the Muromachi Era, admiration for Tang and Song culture was deeply rooted in the hearts of the Wa people, so much so that daily rituals, clothing, and food were all esteemed by the customs of the Tang people. The quality of tea art was naturally judged against Lu Yu's 'Classic of Tea' from the Tang dynasty.

"Good! 'The whirlpool swirls but does not move, the surface of the cup is spotless,' the tea and water blend, the cup walls are clean... Mitsuhiro's matcha technique could stand out even in the Capital City!"

Mori no Kiyoshi was seriously admiring, then laughed and praised. Kaozaki Mitsuhiro's matcha technique was performed with solemnity and steady wrists, his skill had indeed reached a competent level. But if it was in the Capital City... Kyoto's tea masters could use group tea to form different patterns and designs, just like the descriptions in famous Song dynasty paintings... hmm, similar to modern-day latte art.

Hearing Mori no Kiyoshi's compliment, Kaozaki Mitsuhiro's face showed pride, while Lord Nobuhiro remained unchanged, just slightly shook his head. He had seen much; not to mention Kyoto's tea masters, even those in the Koga Kubo's camp from Kamakura were two levels above Mitsuhiro.

Of course, samurai did not rely on tea art for a living; it was merely through such elegant hobbies that they gained a good name and served as a means to bond with superiors and colleagues.

The tea soup was ready; Lord Nobuhiro, with a composed demeanor, softly recited another line.

"Without any reason, I hold a bowl, dedicate it to tea lovers..."

Kaozaki Mitsuhiro then, with both hands, respectfully handed the tea soup to the two sitting opposite. They sipped delicately, and with a cup emptied, they felt refreshed and warm all over.

The climate in Ezo land was cold, and there was no good tea. This group tea was brought from the Kansai region during a trade with Matsushita Zou Jirou last time. However, the advantage of group tea lay in its low demand for tea leaf quality. And since Mori no Kiyoshi had a favor to ask, he smiled softly, showing a comfortable and slightly inebriated expression.

With a cup of tea down, the atmosphere between the two returned to one of old friends. Lord Nobuhiro then slightly smiled and inquired.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I wonder what kind of gifts the people behind you desire?"

"Hmm... The one soon to be the tenth Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshizumi, aged 23, young and spirited, loves fine horses... The soon-to-be retired chief, Ashikaga Yoshimi, enjoys poetry and wine, but needs nourishing medicine due to slightly poor health... And the Shogun's mother, Lady Ryoko, and the Shogun's wife, daughter of Hosokawa, favor exquisite furs, the more exceptional and rare, the better!..."

"Fine horses, medicinal herbs, furs..."

Upon hearing this, Lord Nobuhiro thought briefly and nodded. He had a rough plan in mind. Although Ezo land was harsh and cold, it was connected with Birch Island and the Kuril Islands, bridging the vast far north. Through Shandar trade, he indeed had trading connections with the Ewenki tribes of the northwest continent and the Kamchatka tribes of the far northern snow plains.

Among them, the Wild Man Jurchen had the Jurchen Stallion, and the Sakha people had the Yakut snow horse, both far superior to the horses of the He Country! And the Jurchens, Sakha, Sorun, Yukaghir, and Gilyak... all located in the vast mountain forest snow plains, produced superior quality ginseng, deer antler, and bear paws, all excellent for health. Their ginseng was far superior to that of Korea, even the best for conditioning the body.

As for exquisite furs, Lord Nobuhiro thought, the Ainu people's bear fur, though warm and practical, wasn't exquisite. The truly exquisite ones had to come from the far north!

The purple sable, Arctic fox, Arctic wolf, marten, ermine, and brown bear found in the forested snow plains had the purest, most lustrous pelts, the finest ones being even superior to a maiden's skin. The fur of the purple sable and the Arctic fox, with their pure and lustrous colors, were the most precious of all. Their fine hairs surpassed a maiden's skin in softness.

"To make a round in the far north... just that round will take over a year..."

Lord Nobuhiro pondered for a moment, gaining confidence in his thoughts. The Upper Country, with several manors he commanded in Ezo land, had goods that were better than the treasures of the same type in Kyoto, and could serve as a guarantee. Keeping that in mind, he smiled confidently and inquired with a gentle smile.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, my old friend, I wonder what kind of sincerity the great figures behind you can offer?"

Upon hearing Lord Nobuhiro's words, Mori no Kiyoshi's eyes brightened as he laughed and promised, standing up straightly.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I promise you with a smile. Even if it's thousands of stones of rice, hundreds of rolls of silk, and another hundred sets of armor and weapons, I won't bat an eyelid!"

"A thousand stones of rice, a hundred bolts of silk..."

Upon hearing such an astounding offer, though, Kaozaki Mitsuhiro's face showed signs of delight, and his breathing became slightly quicker.

In the He Country, the weight of one stone of rice was approximately 230 pounds. According to the He Country farmers, a thousand stones could feed eight hundred people for a year. At that time, silk was very expensive, with superior quality brought by Tang Ship from the Ming Dynasty, much sought after and costly, even more so than some of the imitations on par. As for the last condition of a hundred sets of armor and weapons... Before the Industrial Era, He Country, unlike the various tribes of Central America, does not excel in this, and it was not abundant, to begin with. Omi has many towns of blacksmiths known for producing iron ore...

In other words, this astonishing wealth in the eyes of Kaozaki Mitsuhiro, according to the Kyoto merchant Mori no Kiyoshi, was equivalent to the output of two years of fief! In fact, in the museum of ancient Koga Kubo, even the tea masters from Kamakura were superior to Mitsuhiro.

Still, the samurai were not reliant on tea skills for a living; they only used such elegance as a way to gain fame and as a channel to be close with their superiors and colleagues.

The tea was prepared; Lord Nobuhiro, with an elegant demeanor, softly recited another verse.

"Without any reason, I hold a bowl, dedicate it to lovers of tea..."

Kaozaki Mitsuhiro then respectfully offered the tea to the two seated across from him. Both sipped in small sips, and after finishing their cups, they felt refreshed and warmed all over.

In the cold climate of Ezo land, good tea was scarce. This batch of group tea was brought from the Kansai region during a trade with Matsushita Zou Jirou during his last visit to Victory Mountain Manor. The advantage of group tea is that it does not demand high-quality tea leaves. And with Mori no Kiyoshi needing a favor, he smiled with a comfortable, slightly inebriated expression.

After drinking the cup of tea, the atmosphere between the two returned to that of old friends. Lord Nobuhiro then slightly smiled before inquiring.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I wonder what kind of gift those behind you want?"

"Ah... The soon-to-be tenth General, Ashikaga Yoshizumi, young and spirited, loves fine horses... The poetry and wine-loving, yet slightly frail Ashikaga Yoshimi needs nourishing herbs... As for Lady Koyuko, the Shogun's mother, and Lady Hosokawa, the Shogun's wife, they both desire exquisite furs. The more unique and rare, the better!..."

"Fine horses, supplements, furs..."

Upon hearing this, Lord Nobuhiro pondered for a moment and then nodded. In his heart, he knew that through Shandar trade with the Ewenki tribes from the Northwest Continent and the Far North Snow Plains, he had access to various goods, indeed better than similar rare commodities from the Capital City.

Reflecting on this, he smirked with confidence, and with a bright smile, he asked.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, my old friend. I wonder, what kind of sincerity can the great figures behind you offer?"

Hearing Lord Nobuhiro's words, Mori no Kiyoshi's face lit up with a smile as he stood and promised.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I assure you with a smile. Even if it's thousands of stones of rice, a hundred bolts of silk fabrics, and a hundred sets of armor and weapons you desire, I won't bat an eye!"

"A thousand stones of rice, a hundred bolts of silk..."

Upon hearing such astonishing wealth being mentioned, Kaozaki Mitsuhiro's face lit up with excitement, his breath slightly quickening.

In the Wa Country, the weight of one stone of rice was about 230 jin. According to the He Country farmers, a thousand stones would amount to an entire year's supply of food for eight hundred people. At this time, silk textiles were costly, with superior quality being brought from the Tang ships of the Ming Dynasty, and they were even more expensive. As for the last hundred sets of armor and weapons... Before the Industrial Era, the He Country, unlike the various tribes of Central America, was not known for crafts, and the worth of such goods exceeded expectations.

In other words, the wealth that astonished Kaozaki Mitsuhiro was, to the Kyoto merchant Mori no Kiyoshi, equivalent to the output from a fief of two years! Yet, his wisdom and insight exceeded what his son, raised in Ezo land, could understand.

Lord Nobuhiro lowered his eyes to conceal his inner emotions. He controlled the Upper Country and its several manors in Ezo land. The wealth he held was considerably more exceptional than similar treasures in the Capital City and could serve as a guaranteed fallback. Contemplating this, he wore a self-assured smile, beaming.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I wonder what kind of sincerity the great figures behind you possess?"

Upon hearing Lord Nobuhiro's words, Mori no Kiyoshi's face brightened with a smile, as he stood straight and promised with a laugh.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I assure you with a smile. Even if it's thousands of stones of rice, a hundred bolts of silk, and even a hundred sets of armor and weapons, I won't frown a bit!"

"A thousand stones of rice, a hundred bolts of silk, a hundred sets of armor..."

Hearing this astonishing offer, Kaozaki Mitsuhiro's expression brightened, and he breathed a little faster.

In the Wa Country, the weight of one koku of rice is roughly around 230 jin. According to the He Country farmers, a thousand of koku could provide food for eight hundred people for a year. At this time, silk was very expensive, the superior quality was brought in by Tang Ships from the Ming Dynasty, and the price was even higher. As for the last hundred sets of armor and weapons... before the Industrial Era, the Wa Country, compared to various tribes in Central America, did not excel in this, not at all. However, the legacy of Kaga's skilled blacksmiths still holds prestige...

In other words, this wealth, which seemed astonishing to Kaozaki Mitsuhiro, according to the Kyoto great merchant Mori no Kiyoshi, was equivalent to the production of two years' output from a fief! But Lord Nobuhiro's maturity and experience naturally far exceeded his son, who grew up in Ezo land.

Lord Nobuhiro lowered his gaze, hiding the inner turbulence of his emotions. He said nothing more on terms, but instead inquired about another matter with a sip of tea.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, my friend. Since the Shogun is changing, and with such upheaval in the Shogunate, you have backing from the trading group in Omi and the influential figure at Miao Courtyard. What sort of sincerity can they offer?"

Hearing Lord Nobuhiro's words, Mori no Kiyoshi's face lit up with a smile, and he promised while standing up.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, I assure you with a smile. Even if it's thousands of stones of rice, a hundred bolts of silk, and even a hundred sets of armor and weapons, I wouldn't frown for a moment!"

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