The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 63

Of course, all the matchlocks, gunpowder, and lead pellets used in this operation will be reimbursed.

Wiegand Garcia said he could accept it, while Meng Peiyu was not picky at all.

Then the two took out their respective firearms, made some preparations, and began a shooting contest.

Then, more than ten minutes passed.

Although they used very suitable equipment and their movements were very agile and skilled, the rate of fire of a matchlock gun, which required loading from the muzzle to the front and back, was ultimately not fast.

The barbarian Wigg Garcia was focused and on high alert, aiming carefully each time, and finally hit the target sixteen times.

Meng Peiyu, a visitor from Tang, handled the task with ease and leisure. After a slight adjustment, he decisively pulled the trigger and achieved a score of fifteen shots.

These two achievements would undoubtedly qualify them as those of a master arquebusier in today's world.

Receiving annual salaries of sixteen and fifteen strings of cash respectively is reasonable, even a bit low.

As for Harumi-shitaka, according to the Kanto Hojo standard, a "housekeeper" was supported with an annual tribute of ten paddy fields or thirty dry fields, which is equivalent to five kan of silver. Therefore, he also believed that he should receive five kan.

Of course, for now, we can only talk about money, using the silver revenue from the mines to pay for it. If we acquire territory in the future, many people might prefer to change it into a fiefdom.

From a cultural perspective, in the public's mind, no matter how much money a salaried mercenary can earn, it is never stable enough; he is just a wage earner and is ultimately not as good as a samurai lord with an ancestral territory and a "secure job".

Just like the public opinion in the 21st century that all private sector jobs are inferior to civil service jobs.

However, even if the ronin who received the "new favor" gained knowledge and skills, they lacked connections and prestige and would not immediately become local strongmen. Further demanding that "vassals live together" and adopting a policy of land trusteeship would be tantamount to "separation of samurai and farmers."

However, sometimes the situation is different. In those remote and newly occupied territories that are not yet stable, it is precisely the case that the retainers need to quickly become local strongmen and win over the hearts of the people in order to avoid turmoil.

The key to its effective application lies in one's own mindset; blindly pursuing so-called "advanced systems" is not advisable.

Next, Shinzaburo wandered around the taverns and inns in Sakai Town a couple more times, but unfortunately he didn't find any more talented people.

There are plenty of ronin looking for work, but when asked to demonstrate their skills, they either make excuses and hesitate, or they pretend to be skilled but quickly reveal their incompetence.

Most of them claimed to be skilled in martial arts, but when they actually tested their skills with bamboo sticks, they were all defeated by Qinghai in just two moves within ten seconds.

Some said they had a basic understanding of arithmetic, but they couldn't do two-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division even if they broke their fingers.

Some people even boasted that they were good at verse, but when asked to compose a couple of lines, they couldn't even get the rhythm and meaning right, let alone the number of words.

Shinzaburo found it very strange. As the richest place in Japan, with such a large flow of people, how could Sakai Town not find any potential heroes?

Later, a tavern waiter, who was rewarded with two coins for his quick work, quietly advised, "Sir, you've come to the wrong place if you're looking to recruit talent."

Shinzaburo was immediately puzzled: "Sakai-cho is a place where various countries meet, what do you mean by that?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Sir, you seem to have connections with the Miyoshi family. You must know Lord Matsuyama Shigeharu, who is currently guarding the Higashi-Harima Castle!"

Shinzaburo certainly knew.

This guy is brave in battle and capable in government affairs. He is a follower of Matsunaga Hisahide and has now been appointed as the lord of a castle. By today's standards, he is probably a samurai with several thousand koku of grain.

The tavern waiter explained carefully, "Lord Matsuyama Shigeharu was born in Sakai-cho and worked as an entertainer in his early years! Seven months ago, he was going to Harima, so he recruited talents in Sakai-cho and hired more than fifty ronin. Anyone with real skills was selected that time."

Shinzaburo suddenly realized what was happening, but there was nothing he could do.

These days, there are many samurai who have built their empires from the bottom up, and people need to recruit talented individuals from the countryside.

Fortunately, we managed to recruit two "special talents" who were not well-regarded by others, so at least we gained something.

In the end, Shinzaburo decided not to waste any more time. He bought a few "six-eyed" arquebuses to study and then took Wigg Garcia and Meng Peiyu back to the Tada Copper Mine.

He left Harumi-shitaka behind, gave him some money, and instructed him to stay in Sakai-cho for a while to see if he could find a few relatively reliable ronin.

……

On the way back to the Tada copper mine, near Ishiyama, they learned of the so-called "change of era".

He didn't even have the patience to wait until the beginning of the year, and directly announced that he would immediately use the new era name "Hongzhi".

In other words, the 24th year of the Tianwen era was the same year as the first year of the Hongzhi era.

The stated reason was that natural disasters and wars were frequent, and it was necessary to change the era name to adjust the "fortune".

Whether that's actually the reason, who knows?

The only certainty is that Ashikaga Yoshiteru, who was living in Kuchiki Valley in Omi Province, was completely incapable of contributing funds for changing the era name, unlike the shoguns of the past.

The Omi Rokkaku family doesn't seem to be planning to be taken advantage of.

The final funding issue was likely resolved by Miyoshi Nagayoshi in the name of Hosokawa Ujitsuna.

This was a huge blow to the Ashikaga family's reputation.

Of course, this only applies to the upper levels.

Ordinary people wouldn't know about all these intricacies, and ordinary samurai wouldn't care either. If it weren't for Master Meishu's guidance, Shinzaburo might not have been able to keenly perceive the signs.

Those who harbored ill will towards the Muromachi Shogunate were the court nobles.

In fact, Ashikaga Yoshiteru's relationship with the court nobles had been growing increasingly distant. The current Kanpaku Konoe's successor, who originally adopted the name "Haruji" from Yoshiteru's father Yoshiharu, had recently abandoned the "Haru" and changed it to "sensei," which was a statement of severing personal ties with the Ashikaga family.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third ruler of the Muromachi Shogunate, established the custom of the Shogun bestowing a name upon the Regent, which lasted for ten generations. Now that it has been abandoned, the impact is far more than just a single word.

Now, with the addition of funds for changing the era name, it can be said that the imperial court is subtly slapping Ashikaga Yoshiteru in the face.

Because it is so subtle, there is nothing to criticize openly, and even if you want to criticize, you don't know how.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru probably couldn't say anything, and could only sigh: Damn, how could this courtier be so wicked!

Shinzaburo sensed the political turmoil in Kyoto, but was unable to communicate with those around him.

It wasn't until after returning to the copper mine, and some time later, that Master Mingzhou returned from Suruga, and we were finally able to have a chat.

The old monk said, "The matter of changing the era name is no small matter. Imagawa Jibu has made it clear to me that if the Ashikaga clan is in trouble, the Imagawa clan is very willing to come to Kyoto to 'assist' them. It's just that the traitors Oda of Owari and Saito of Mino are blocking the way."

Shinzaburo shook his head and said, "This is practically a contest of the weight of the throne! However, with Miyoshi Chikuzen still alive, Imagawa's strength is probably not enough to contend for supremacy."

Master Mingzhou said quietly, "But if we can really occupy the two states of Omi, our military strength will be no less than that of Miyoshi."

Shinzaburo made a confident judgment: "I don't think Imagawa is capable of taking over Oshu, let alone Mino."

Master Mingzhou smiled without saying a word, and then went on to describe the situation in the Tokaido region.

Although Taigen Sessai has passed away, the Imagawa clan remains very powerful. With troops from Suruga and Totomi, they are sweeping through the Mikawa region and eyeing Owari.

Meanwhile, the other member of the "Kai-Sho-Shun" triangular alliance, Kai-Takeda, after conquering Shinano, also moved westward to recruit local lords from the eastern Mino border region, bordering Owari and Mikawa.

In light of this, Oda Nobunaga of Owari and Saito Dosan of Mino, father-in-law and son-in-law, joined forces to fight against Imagawa and Takeda.

Currently, Oda is using the connections of local strongman Mizuno Nobumoto to repeatedly incite the people of Mikawa Province to rebel against Imagawa, and has achieved considerable success.

On the other hand, Imagawa consistently adopted a more conservative approach. After defeating the rebels, he would often simply execute the ringleaders and replace them with a commoner as head of the household, and that would be the end of it.

This led to repeated rebellions that could never be quelled.

Oda Nobunaga seized this opportunity to eliminate Oda Nobutomo, the deputy governor of the four lower districts of Owari, greatly expanding his power.

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo couldn't help but remark, "Miyoshi Chikuzen seems to be lenient towards the opposition in Settsu, never exterminating them completely, much like Imagawa Jibu."

Master Mingzhou hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I have also considered this issue, but I feel it is no different from gambling. Acting boldly may lead to a quick victory, but it may also lead to a quick defeat. Being cautious will prevent both a great victory and a great defeat."

Shinzaburo nodded in agreement: "Nothing in this world is perfect. We can only choose the lesser of two evils."

Master Mingzhou was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said with great interest, "Let's not talk about other countries' affairs, let's talk about our own people first!"

Shinzaburo hurriedly asked, "How is it?"

Master Mingzhou said leisurely, "Think carefully about how to deal with the Utsu family of Kuwata County. We'll probably receive the documents soon."

119 Who will join me in condemning the traitors to the nation?

At the end of the 24th year of the Tianwen era, or the first year of the Hongzhi era, while the change of era name was more politically important, the military situation in various regions was more relevant to the lower and middle-ranking samurai. (i.e., 1555)

In theory, the Miyoshi clan currently controls six provinces: Awa, Sanuki, Awaji, Settsu, Yamashiro, and Izumi, and also has some influence in Kawachi, Tanba, Harima, and Yamato. It should be said that at this point in time, the only genuine "million-koku daimyo" in Japan.

But this also means a long battlefront, many enemies, and a constant stream of troubles.

The problem first erupted in Izumi.

The deputy governor of Izumi, "Matsuura Hizen-no-kami," who had always obeyed Miyoshi Nagayoshi, passed away without leaving behind a biological son. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Miyoshi Nagayoshi found a young boy named "Manmitsu" from his own family to be adopted.

This has sparked some controversy and conflict.

After all, the Matsuura family only lacked a direct descendant, not a completely extinct line; there were still quite a few members in the collateral branches. Many family members were not willing to see an outsider inherit the family business.

As a result, incited by some anti-good forces, unrest broke out.

Meanwhile, at Akutagawa Castle, a lowly concubine of Miyoshi Nagayoshi gave birth to his precious second son. This was a rare and precious event for the Miyoshi family, which currently only had Miyoshi Yoshioki as its sole heir.

However, the second son was very weak from birth and was at risk of dying young. Therefore, a large number of doctors, monks, and priests were mobilized to provide treatment and prayers.

However, given the current level of technology, the chances of saving them are not very high.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi was clearly in a bad mood and not suitable to lead the army. Therefore, he did not take command himself, but sent his fourth brother, Sogawa Kazumi of Sanuki, to lead troops to Izumi to oversee all local military and political affairs.

Unexpectedly, Kagawa Kagami, who was quite prestigious in the three districts of Nishisanuki, had previously outwardly submitted to the Miyoshi family but inwardly resentful. Upon seeing Sogawa Kazumi leave with his troops, he immediately issued documents in his own name to nearby temples, shrines, and villages, and actively contacted the Kono family of Iyo and the Murakami family of the Mishima navy, adopting a posture of self-reliance.

This change seemed to have caught Miyoshi Nagayoshi completely off guard.

It would be ridiculous to ask Kazutaka Sogo to withdraw at this point.

Therefore, the Miyoshi family's strategy was to send Awa Miyoshi Yoshikata and Awaji Ataka Fuyuyasu into Sanuki to subdue Kagawa Kage. They also subjugated the Ishikawa family in eastern Iyo, who were originally vassals of the Kono family, in order to launch a pincer attack.

In summary, it can be said that the Izumi region is temporarily out of control, and the forces in Awa, Sanuki, and Awaji are tied down, while some of the directly subordinate hatamoto have also been mobilized.

The remaining Miyoshi family doesn't have many mobile units left to deploy.

At this time, the imperial court issued a document reiterating the matter of the Utsu family of Kuwata District in Tanba Province seizing "forbidden lining materials" and hoping that Miyoshi Nagayoshi would send troops to subdue them and restore the tribute from Yamaguni-sho.

The so-called "forbidden land" refers to the real estate directly belonging to the royal palace.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi did not intend to mobilize a large army for this, so the matter was handed over to Matsunaga Nagayori, the acting head of the Naito family.

But Matsunaga Nagayori didn't have much spare energy.

Although the Hatano family of Tanba-taki District had suffered heavy losses, they were not yet wiped out, while the Akai family of Hikami District was in a period of great strength. They were naturally aware that the Miyoshi family was currently preoccupied with one issue and another, so they once again united to launch a challenge.

Matsunaga Nagayori was already struggling to deal with just these two.

Under these circumstances, through Master Mingzhou's mediation, Kubo Yoshiaki, known as "Tanba Zhongkui," was chosen as the person to subdue the Utsu family. It seems difficult to say whether this was a blessing or a curse.

On the optimistic side, most other generals are preoccupied with their own tasks and won't be vying for the opportunity. However, on the other hand, this also means they won't receive much support.

……

In mid-December, Shinzaburo learned that he had a new mission.

At this moment, the second batch of silver produced by the Silver Mine has been minted into 146 silver coins, worth approximately 175 strings of cash. After purchasing dozens of prisoners of war who could not afford their indemnities to help, the production rate has also increased significantly.

During this time, Shinzaburo, as the magistrate, was still quite leisurely. He only needed half an hour each day to sort out the accounts, and the rest of the time he was studying firearms.

With guidance from experts from Daimon and Spain, Shinzaburo quickly mastered the basic operating procedures and also had his followers from Kubo Village learn them diligently.

At other times, he would occasionally practice martial arts with the survivors of the Shingu Party, or chat about battlefield experiences.

Harumi Takaya found a few barely decent ronin from Sakai Town, but they weren't very useful, so he just managed to make up the numbers.

Under these circumstances, Shinzaburo received a document from Hosokawa Ujitsuna.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi maintained his principle of not interfering in matters outside his jurisdiction, avoiding any "usurpation" of authority. Although such matters usually required his prior approval.

The specific order above is to use Hosono Castle in Kuwata District as a base to attack the Utsu family, who have occupied Yamaguni-sho.

Because it pertains to matters in Tanba Province, this book also bears the joint signature of Matsunaga Nagayori.

This Hosono Castle was territory that Matsunaga Nagayori seized from the Utsu family a few months ago.

Having received such an order, it is tantamount to saying that regardless of whether the attack on the Utsu family is successful or not, the territory near Hosono Castle can be guaranteed to be taken.

However, there were only about a dozen not-so-wealthy mountain villages in that area.

Based on previous arrangements, he would most likely lose control of the silver mine in a year or two. If all he gained was this little bit of territory, it wouldn't be worth it.

However, the combined forces of Noguchi Village and Hosono Castle could only mobilize a maximum of four or five hundred men, and the peasant soldiers in the newly occupied territory might not be reliable. This was clearly insufficient to launch an attack on the Utsu clan, which possessed over a thousand troops. The only way was to use the pretext of righteousness to obtain some reinforcements for free.

Even without taking the initiative, Miyoshi Nagayoshi would provide some assistance as a way of showing respect to the imperial court and to compensate for the transfer from the silver mine.

However, what they provide may not be elite troops. To obtain truly powerful support, one may still need personal connections and exchanges of benefits.

Shinzaburo's first thought was of the Ikeda family, a neighboring family in Ikeda Castle, located south of the Tada Copper Mine.

I've met quite a few samurai colleagues over the years, but those I can truly call friends are probably limited to Matsunaga Magoroku and Ikeda Katsumasa. Only these two have offered me any relatively selfless help.

Matsunaga Magoroku is currently stationed at the front line in Taki County, which is adjacent to the Hatano family, so he is mostly unable to spare any time.

As for Katsumasa Ikeda, a member of the Settsu garrison, he's currently at home on standby. They are a relatively independent group of garrison members, so if they agree to come and help, Nagayoshi Miyoshi probably won't object.