Olives, Wine and Honey at the river

Chapter 6

Two days after arrival their in Jinhan, the king of Silla adopted a new regulation (with consent of most of the nobles): foreign investment was permitted only in two regions - in the Capital and in the delta of the Nakdong river - which is the border with the Gaya confederation. This regulation was meant to reduce to influence of foreigners in the Silla economy. Investors from the Gaya confederacy had a privilege due to their treaties with Silla. Also, employment in Silla was mostly dependent upon the trade with Gaya and Tamna island (Jeju). There was a Kemet diplomat, born in the Upper Nile region, that represented the Ethiopian emperor at the Gaya city states. There's a small Ethiopian community of 200 and a Kemet (Egyptian) community of 350 living at the border with Gaya, in the delta region. The diplomat, Ramses Thebusus, who also has Roman citizenship by birth, has lived for twenty years between Korea and Wa. He is half of the year in Wa and the other half year in Korea. He often receives textile, pottery and metal orders from Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Judea and Syria. Ramses is not wealthy. He receives a compensation from the Ethiopian and Egyptian sponsors, with some aid from the Ethiopian state, for his work. He and his family are all well off. His five daughters and two sons are well off in the community. Ramses heard of the new Sillan law. He wouldn't be affected, because he's already settled in the right region. In the evening he receives the news that a wealthy noblewoman from Wa arrived in town, together with nine maids who appear to be wealthy too. They were guarded by sixteen troops and they wore expensive silk and jewelry. According to Ramses' secretary they are associates of the Empress of Wa. Ramses decided not to get involved personally with them. He send one of his daughters to check out on them. She was not send as a spy. Ramses also suggested it because Naomi is quite shy. He hoped that his daughter might open herself for those foreigners. 

At the same time, the King of Tsuikai-koku, together with it's prime minister Aoki, had to resolve the bankruptcy of the state. Tsuikai-koku (Tsushima island) is one of the client kingdoms of Wa (Yamataikoku). It's the closest island-state of Wa at the Korean shores. The island has around 50.000 people, of whom 20.000 are Koreans. The Emperor of Wa is represented by a governor, who only holds a ceremonial function with the privilege to collect taxes from the government. The State owed their creditors in Silla around 14840 silver coins and they also owed taxes to Wa of around 4320 golden coins. The debt has been formed over a period of 8 years. The prime-minister and the other ministers are only capable to cover half of the debt with the income taxes. The other half is still missing. The government of Silla have requested land from the island-nation in return for debt relief. This is not permitted by the Imperial government of Wa. Also, the Tsuikai state has hired 40 navy ships from other Wa client-kingdoms to battle a potential invasion by Silla. The 40 navy ships patrol around the island. The news of maritime installation reached the Sillan capital just a week before Eunyeong and her maids arrived in Jinhan. The king of Silla had send a small ambassador, two days before Eunyeong's arrival, to the capital of Tsuikai-koku to negotiate. The ambassador was told firm that any attempt of Korea to annex Tsuikai-koku would result in a maritime war. Furthermore, the Sillan citizens that are living on the island will be taken captive until that war would end. The ambassador returned to Gyeongju (Capital of Silla) with the message. The noble men, in the government, decided to refrain from their claim for an annexation of Tsuikai-koku. This decision enraged many wealthy businessmen who can't claim any payment for their loans to the Tsuikai king any more. A war with Wa would cost too much money from the state's treasury. Also, a war with Wa would endanger the relations between the kingdom Silla and the city states of the Gaya confederation. The Gaya confederation is on good relations with the client kingdoms of Wa. The heads of the cartels in Silla, despite the decree of the state, decided that they would deal with Tsuikai-koku and it's king Tarohito their own way. The devised a plan to send assassins to assassinate the ministers and secretaries in Tsuikai-koku. They also planned to send one of their agents, together with a group of 30 armed men, who would take over the island after the assassinations. With this, they would be capable of managing the country without the permission of the Sillan state. This coup-l'etate would further grand the cartels a closer access to the industrial towns of Wa's western regions.  One of the cartels, separate from the others, planned to annex twenty towns on Kyushu. This is planned after their take-over of the Tsuikai nation. They would use the puppet they install with the other cartels, to use the 40 ships at Tsuikai's disposal, to attack Kyushu (in their favour). One of the conspirators suddenly chanced his mind. He felt that the whole plan would collapse as soon as the king of Silla found out about it. He was a nephew of one of the cartel leaders, who dominate agriculture and the mining industry in the North of Silla at the border with Gorgyeo. His given name was Min-jun. He was also named Toshi-Goshi by his relatives in Eastern Wa. His father was from Wa and his mother from Silla. The intermarriage policy was aimed to form an alliance between a cartel from Korea and a cartel from Eastern Wa. Toshi-Goshi is one of the seventeen children of his father. He owns a fortune of a large farmhouse at the border with Goryeo, 1000 oxen, 300 slaves and his monthly income is almost 900 silver coins (due to whitewashing of his activities).