Chapter 4

"Fufu, there are many big catches."

"Huh, is that so?"

"Mitsuyo, don't you know the meeting people of Sakai?"

"I've never met them, and I've been abroad for a long time."

"That's a typical thing for you to say."

By the way, Oda Nobunaga and Mitsuyo had not known each other's names, so they introduced themselves. Nobunaga started calling Mitsuyo 'Mits.'

Living in Kiyosu Castle for the auction preparations, this lord often called his retainers by odd nicknames like 'chin' and 'monkey.'

Mitsuyo decided that being called 'Mits' was better than 'monkey.'

Also, Kyouko was called 'Kyouko' normally, and Seiki was called 'Kio.' Regarding surnames, since they were Ashikaga, it could cause misunderstandings, so they decided to go without surnames for now.

Since they weren't samurai anyway, they thought it didn't matter if they didn't have surnames.

"Tanaka Yosiro, Imai Soun, Tsuda Soun... almost all are here."

Nobunaga also informed them that many influential merchants who governed Ise's Yamada, Takakura, Hakata, and Sakata, as well as famous merchants from all over the country, were also participating.

"Look at that man."

"Is he a samurai?"

"That man is Matsunaga Tanba."

Surprisingly, even Matsunaga Tanba, a key minister heavily relied upon by Miyoshi Nagayoshi, who held immense power in the Kinai region, was participating in the auction himself.

"According to rumors, Matsunaga Tanba is a famous eccentric."

"An eccentric...?"

Not a pervert, but someone deeply engrossed in a hobby, often referring to a tea ceremony enthusiast in this era.

"So, he came to look for porcelain that can be used in tea ceremonies?"

"That might be part of it, but the Miyoshi family, which he serves, is a powerful force in the Kinai region. He might have been asked to find items needed by the Miyoshi family and their retainers. He is known for his excellent eye."

Since they are important people, there might also be a demand for rewards and gifts. Mitsuyo understood it that way.

"Amazing. You're truly a lord!"

Mitsuyo sincerely praised Nobunaga's information-gathering ability.

"This much is nothing."

Nobunaga, being called 'lord' and praised by Mitsuyo, who wasn't even his retainer, didn't mind at all.

"Then, let's start."

"I will just observe."

Nobunaga was not participating in this auction. Since he had to pay a share of the proceeds, he would receive the porcelain and treasures he wanted.

"Let's spend a lot of money and buy them!"

Naturally, the more sales, the more porcelain and treasures Nobunaga would receive. He sincerely hoped for the auction's success.

"First, from the Yuan era! A blue-and-white dish with Tang grass patterns!"

The auction started immediately, and the venue was filled with excitement. Everyone was trying to get their hands on the porcelain, and the prices were being bid up at an alarming rate.

"100 kan!"

"150 kan!"

"200 kan!"

"210 kan!"

"Such a masterpiece, who knows when it will be available again! 250 kan!"

Some people were willing to spend hundreds of kan on a single jar or large plate. The piles of money in front of Seiki, who managed the auction proceeds, kept growing at an alarming rate. Many paid with gold and silver, which were more convenient to carry.

"There's no one bidding in units of 100 mon, Onee-san."

"Money, it seems to be there when it's needed..."

Especially, the meeting people of Sakai, Tanaka Yosiro, Imai Soun, and Tsuda Soun, were bidding large sums of money to buy rare items aggressively. Matsunaga Tanba was also using his excellent appraisal skills to buy good deals within his limited budget. Since the auction involved strategy, the excellent samurai Hisahide was likely to be a winner. He was known as the ruler of Yamato, but as a daimyo, he had to pay expenses like salaries according to his income. Unlike the meeting people, he couldn't spend large sums of money.

"Excuse me... I have a question..."

During the auction, such consultations were frequent. The copper coins used for payment were mainly Yongle coins cast in Ming. Since Japan had not minted its own currency since the Heian era, the high-quality Yongle coins imported in large quantities from Ming were highly valued. However, the supply was far from meeting the demand, so many old Song dynasty coins, which had been used for hundreds of years and were worn out, and low-quality privately minted coins were in circulation.

When the quality was poor, the Chinese characters were barely visible, and they were just lumps of copper mixed with impurities, or even split in half. Naturally, these were called 'bitter coins' and were disliked. In some places, seven to ten bitter coins were equivalent to one Yongle coin.

"Can I pay part of the price with bitter coins?"

A merchant, looking apologetic, brought out a large amount of bitter coins as part of the payment.

"Bitter coins are seven to one Yongle coin."

"Thank you!"

The merchant who won the bid for a Ming blue-and-white water container was overjoyed and paid the price, including bitter coins, and received the item.

"What! Bitter coins are acceptable!"

The venue was abuzz with excitement. In this era, bitter coins were often not accepted, and there were even cases where it led to violent incidents.

Since Mitsuyo and the others said they would accept them unconditionally, a large amount of bitter coins was paid. The pile of money grew even larger.

"Wouldn't it be a problem if it's all bitter coins?"

"We have plenty of Yongle coins."

Nobunaga tilted his head, watching Mitsuyo and the others accept the bitter coins without a word.

"If they say it's fine, there's nothing to say."

The auction continued for three days, and all the Chinese porcelain offered sold for more than expected.

"Next, a gold-inlaid water pot! From the Northern Song dynasty!"

Such items were also recovered and put up for auction, selling for large sums of money. Thus, the auction of the Sengoku era ended successfully amidst great prosperity.