Chapter 367
Thus, Joseon entered a period of stagnation, rolling busily along in its own tranquility.
Many merchant ships were diligently traveling between Shandong in Ming and Jemulpo. In Dongnae, merchant ships were busily traveling to and from the Joseon trading posts in Tsushima Island and mainland Japan.
And from Mokpo, merchant ships were traveling to and from the territories of Ouchi and Gendojin (Shibukawa Mitsuyori). The ships coming from Ouchi were loaded with silver ore, while those from Gendojin’s territory were full of cotton.
Gendojin, who had attacked the Shoni clan in alliance with Ouchi, was able to recover his lost territory.
After recovering his territory, Gendojin began cultivating cotton, accepting Joseon’s proposal to cover the war expenses he had incurred and to secure funds to rebuild his territory.
And from this year, cotton in commercially significant quantities began to enter Joseon.
This cotton from Japan was transformed into plain cotton cloth through the hands of merchant groups in Joseon and was being sold not only to Ming, Jurchen, and Japan, but also as far as Arabia and Europe.
This became the occasion for the phrase “Florence’s wool, Joseon’s cotton” to be born in Europe.
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