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Let us say that the proverb of winning or losing a battle was, in this day and age, very easy to understand.

A winner takes all of the losers, and only death remains for the loser...

If that's the great name of a warring nation, there's a literal "death" to the loser.

In other words, it may be the last mercy to the loser that kills himself or is awaiting execution, and that consciousness will never cease without knowing the tragic end of your home.

And the merchants of this age also had victories and losses every time they fought.

That is, of a great battle for them. It was also a great opportunity to gain tremendous wealth if they joined the winner's side, but vice versa, if they joined the loser's side, it meant death as a merchant.

But unlike the great warring nations, death to the merchants was cruel.

Because "death" for them meant losing their rights and then having to carry their own falling lives.

By Nobunaga Oda and Hideyoshi Toyotomi's recommended Rakuma/Rakuza, the free economy became, in a sense, only famous as the era progressed, and in the end, it became a mechanism for the lords, the great-named merchants, to obtain their rights as a priority.

Those who flashed there, the "losers," had to engage in low-profit business or leave the country in search of new destinations.

In other words, the merchant's "death" will keep an eye on the end of their business. Sometimes, before the battle, a good friend must gain fame and be distanced from himself or be given a pitiful gaze.

Not only that, but we must give life to those we hired, and we must make our families feel twitchy.

I could just call it a falling life.

In the past, Shinya Souzhan and others, near Hideyoshi Taipei and under the asylum of Hideyoshi, left their wealth and fame in their thoughts, but after the battle of Sekigahara, they erroneously looked under the sky, were treated cold by Jiayang Tokugawa, and went from being a merchant of the Heavenly People to being a merchant of Nagazheng Kuroda of Fukuoka, one of the great names.

Still, he and others may have been because they were still building wealth in Kyushu.

Also, Chiriku and others, who originally received life as the son of a merchant who made a fortune from the Sakai fishmongery, gained a leap of fame through tea water, but were neglected by Hideyoshi in his late years and ordered to "die" before the fall. And I cut that belly with my own hands.

It must have been careless for the person at the time, but as a merchant, it may be considered unfortunate luck in that he did not have to live a falling life afterwards.

They, for example, are, in a way, a special example.

And a certain figure of the town of Sakami may also be among the exceptions.

Because he did become a "loser," but nevertheless, out of his fame and connections, he neglects to disappear from the tabular stage of history, even though it may not be desirable for him to have a great birth, but he still thought it was too early to live a falling life. Although there are only a few remaining tea party records… i.e. the memoirs of the meeting remain, few records were kept in the world as merchants, and the expression "disappeared" was perfect.

The man's name is Soufan Tsuda.

His father is Tsuda Sousuke, a famous teaman and luxurious merchant, even dubbed "the Three Masters of Heaven".

And its roommate is "Tennoji Temple House".

After Soufan's death, Soufan had taken over the house and given his name as a leading merchant of Sakami.

But it is no exaggeration to say that all the "information" of the Sun Book will gather, in the town of Sakami, while in a position to be called a luxury, as can be said, he mistook the moment.

In other words, despite the fact that many Sakagahara merchants participated in Tokugawa's battle, he put his shoulders in Sansei Ishida.

And after the war, he chose to disappear from the surface stage, still a powerful merchant and tea man.

Of course, he did nothing to discern the Tennoji Temple itself, which was more prosperous than when he was a grandfather. But greed as a merchant lurked in the shadows, leaving the merchant to others, yet living a day like a hidden life.

As such, a single old man came to visit his mansion now in Kyo, at the twilight of five years (1600) of Keio.

"Oh? This is unusual"

and Zongfan raised his head to the visitor in front of a black-based fire bowl in order to snub the cold.

"What's unusual is that it visited?

Or is there someone who can come and visit Lord Zongfan?

"Hehe, doesn't that sound like you're saying you don't have many friends or acquaintances in front of you?

"Ha! I don't know!

Zongfan frowns when the old man laughs out loud.

"Compared to Lord Dalton, there are so many moral things in front of us that we have no choice."

To the words of his Zongfan, the old man called Dorton, when he tapped his forehead with pity,

"Slightly! Do this! Apparently, you said something you didn't want!

But that was supposed to be a compliment. "

And I said it in a moaning manner.

"Hmm? What's that?

In response to that inquiry, Daughton answered with a smile.

"If you look at others, they are enemies or allies...

Now allies could be enemies tomorrow, conversely, enemies now will be allies tomorrow, so that they can circle the plot...

A commercial soul is like that.

That is, I don't make more on my side than good merchants, friends, etc...

Didn't I?

To Dayton's words, Zongfan smiles.

"Well, then did Lord Dalton sound like he said he was a good merchant?

"Hey! This is tough again!

But at least I think Lord Zongfan is an excellent merchant... "

"So Lord Dalton didn't come here as a friend, he came here as an enemy? Or maybe tomorrow we'll be enemies, as allies?

"No, it's still hard for Lord Zongfan!

Rest assured! I came here as a friend. "

"Heh heh, sometimes questions like this are good.

So, what brings your friend Lord Dalton here?

And, at some point, he asked Dorton, who was sliding down to the side of the fire bowl.

Daughton put his hands on the fire bowl and said with an uncontrolled smile.

"I brought you mainly business stories!

Zongfan's face does not respond to the words.

Then Dalton continued.

"Don't look funny! I think of the Lord as a friend, and that's why I brought him here!

"Thankfully, I drew a line in front of me.

Take such stories directly to the master of Tennoji Temple House in Sakami. "

"What are you saying!? Whether Lord Zongfan is the master of the Tennoji Temple House!

"As I said earlier, we have already withdrawn from commerce in front of us, and now we have left the Tennoji Temple House to others..."

And Zongfan didn't really want to hear about Dawton. Dorton has a troubled look on his face.

"Hmm... a strong man..."

"I don't want Lord Dalton to tell me."

"Hey! Looks like I dug the grave brilliantly again! Ha ha!

This old man named Dorton says Dorton Yasui.

future generations and in the name of the downtown area known as "Dotonbori" in Osaka.

While Hideyoshi Tai was alive, Dauton was blowing his acumen to the world as a leading luxury merchant of Sakami.

He makes a significant contribution to the completion of the moat at Osaka Castle, especially as he was specialised in the transportation and brokering of civil engineering.

Since that time, Hideyoshi and I have had a relationship that goes beyond just a relationship between your merchant and your husband, so to speak, a close friend.

And he said, "You want Osaka town to be a business town under heaven!" Towards the realization of Hideyoshi's dreams, Dauton created a large waterway in the southwestern district of Osaka Castle, where water flights were not good.

But Hideyoshi's death prevented the cost of the construction from being put out of the Toyotomi family, and everyone thought it would be seated in the middle without seeing the completion.

But a man named Daoton Yasui was different.

He forcefully everywhere, toward the completion of that waterway, no, what a throw of his own personal possessions to make Osaka the town of commerce beneath the heavens, to proceed with the construction of the waterway.

For one thing, it was to fulfill Hideyoshi's "friendship" with Hideyoshi and the "dream" he had with Hideyoshi.

And he is also immersed in the construction of the waterway, now hitting the line from commerce in Sakai.

In other words, he was also a "hardware of Sakami".

There's a bee and a fire coming out of the bowl.

Though the winter of Kyo was all the more cold, the merchant soul of Zongfan seemed to have frozen more than that.

"But why doesn't Lord Zongfan try to return so forcefully to Sakami?

And Dorton asked with a troubled look, still offering his hand.

Zongfan smiles lonely in his mouth,

"... because I've made my best friend... but let's just say...

As Lord Dalton said, if you don't have friends nearby, you are excellent as a merchant.

Because I made my best friend nearby, I don't deserve to continue doing business. "

"Hmm... my best friend... no way..."

"I'm not talking about Lord Dalton. Don't worry."

"Hey! This is tough again!

And, to Zongfan's immediate answer, Dawton again slapped his prickly forehead.

And I said clouding my expression just a little bit.

"Lord Jibe Ishida... I'm sure it was Lord Soo-yong now..."

"Hehe, Lord Dalton knows everything very well.

Yes, you're right. "

It was just as Soufan Tsuda put his shoulder in Sansei Ishida in the battle of Sekigahara.

That was because he was particularly close to Sang-seong.

That said, Zongfan, through tea water, has seen various human beings more than anyone else when he was younger. In it, I knew that a man named Sansei Ishida was clumsier than any man and more beneficial to what could be termed a father than any man, Hideyoshi Toyotomi. And he knew that he was desperately burning his life to return the favor without any personal interest.

For Zongfan, who had set himself up in a slaughtered relationship so that the enemy allies could be replaced during the day, the only pleasure was to meet Sansei through tea water.

- I want to make this man's dream come true.

It didn't take much longer for Zongfan to have such thoughts.

And the battle of Sekigahara that happened in that.

Of course, Zongfan was well aware that the battle was reckless and so on, and he had praised Sang Cheng several times.

But every time Mitsune,

- Even if the public has allowed the outrage of the inner house, heaven will not forgive it. I can't apologize to His Highness if I give that judgment on behalf of Heaven.

And I never had the ear to ask.

And Sansei lost the war.

All the merchants of Sakai anticipated it, and despite the great showdown that rocked the heavens, there had never been a particular shock run into the town, and the day was still busy as usual.

Inside.

"If Lord Jibu had worked harder, I would have made more money..."

It was the end of those who mourned the tragic defeat of Ishida's side for missing business opportunities.

Zongfan was disgusted with such a town of Sakaki.

But if that were all, I would still have had patience.

Soon afterwards, however, the port of Sakami was transferred from the Toyotomi family to the Tokugawa family.

- If you keep doing business and the port of Sakami is busy, it will moisturize the Tokugawa family as it is...

I couldn't forgive Zongfan enough for that.

I don't particularly have a grudge against Tokugawa Jiayang.

Rather, through tea water, so much so that it had a favourable interaction with him and his ministers.

However, he couldn't help but move forward with the business of trampling the unfulfilled "dream" of his best friend, Sansei Ishida.

His life as a merchant at this point would not be an exaggeration to say that he was already dead.

But it was a matter of his own heart, and it was a testament that he was also a "hardware of Sakami".

Dalton was aware of that.

Because he was also the same man who shook his brilliant future as a merchant on a stick for his friends.

Therefore, I take a deep sigh when I look at the young Zongfan once more than myself.

"Ha...

Lord Zongfan is solid at all... "

"Let's have it with each other."

Silence persists again for a while.

Only the charcoal in the fire bowl burned red and kept making bees and sounds.

It was such a fold.

A single letter was delivered to Zongfan.

"This is..."

The sender...

It came from Sansei Ishida... or Soyo.

Dorton laughs dull when he sees Zongfan opening his eyes to surprise.

And

"Oh... apparently it's snowing..."

And when he saw the little snow coming down, he said:

It was cold, cold, and somewhere lonely, as it shows in Zongfan's heart.