chsdbacks Page 74
Page 74
Ishikawa Mayuki, quite shameless indeed, showed no remorse upon hearing this, instead enthusiastically beginning his explanation: "The first thing is to play dead! Smear blood on your face and fall into a crowd. Try to discard your weapons and equipment to avoid attracting attention as if you're a valuable target... Next, seize the opportunity to leave the battlefield when the enemy is off guard; you can't be buried or burned. Then you need to consider the issue of 'hunting fallen warriors.' Exposing your samurai identity is dangerous; disguising yourself as a merchant who has already been robbed is more suitable. You must choose your route carefully and always pay attention to your surroundings... If necessary, soil yourself, feign deafness or muteness, or even hysteria; you need to judge whether someone is threatening or hostile by their eyes..."
He talked on and on, getting more and more excited.
Kono Takashi, standing next to him, looked disgusted and had already turned his head away, seemingly unwilling to acknowledge his childhood friend.
The dozen or so attendants around Shinzaburo also cast disdainful glances at him.
Monk Jingcheng didn't see anything wrong with it; on the contrary, he listened with great interest.
After patiently listening to these words, Shinzaburo himself immediately made a decision and said to Ishikawa Mayuki, "Very good. Now you have an opportunity to make good use of this experience. If you can successfully complete the mission, you will become the Kubo family's 'monomimi role' from now on."
139 The Knowledge of Ox-Carts
After recruiting two interesting talents in Kyoto, Shinzaburo was confident in handling the visits of court nobles.
Whether it's overt or covert.
Both Kono Takatoki and Ishikawa Masayuki were seasoned veterans who had been hanging around Kyoto for years, and they claimed to have some ronin friends they could introduce them to. However, since they were newcomers, the timing wasn't right, and they needed to wait until they had proven themselves before they felt comfortable asking.
Shinzaburo was naturally pleased with this.
I'll say it again: there aren't enough people available!
Then they returned to Sangtian County.
At this time, Hasegawa Munehito was still surveying the surrounding terrain to choose a site for his new castle. Therefore, the Kubo family members were still temporarily living in Utsu Castle, which had been left behind by the Utsu family.
The main building, which was destroyed by fire, was not bothered to be restored. The second building was enough to house dozens of people, while the third and fourth buildings served as dormitories for servants and soldiers, as well as supply warehouses.
From a practical standpoint, there's no problem.
However, it does not look very impressive, and even looks somewhat embarrassing.
The reason why those wealthy farmers in the territory are so arrogant may also be due to this.
In these times, building a luxurious city on a grand scale is very effective in intimidating the people. Conversely, neglecting repairs and allowing residences to fall into disrepair will inevitably lead to being looked down upon.
Shinzaburo wasn't intentionally giving up; he just wanted Hasegawa Munehito to find a good burial site.
Now that the local gentry and powerful figures within the territory have started bargaining over the annual tribute, it's better to be in no hurry to build the city and consider it a sign of weakness.
……
From March to July of the second year of the Hongzhi reign (1556), Tanba was in a state of war.
Shinzaburo's side is attacking the Utsu family, who have seized the "forbidden lining," and he has also dragged Kawakatsu into the fray.
Meanwhile, Matsunaga Nagayasu, the acting head of the Naito family, fought four battles against Akai Naomasa, the "Red Demon" of Hikami District, with each side winning half and losing half, before finally agreeing to a truce.
Due to the excessive consumption during the period, there are no plans to launch a full-scale mobilization after the autumn harvest; instead, the goal is to calmly get through the second half of the year.
This is good news for the Hatano family of Taki District. After losing more than a third of their land and being abandoned by the Akai family, they must be living in constant fear and can only rely on the terrain to resist and hold out for as long as possible.
However, the lack of a full mobilization does not mean there is no action.
Matsunaga Nagayori mobilized more than 500 laborers to carry out road construction and military post building work in the southern part of Taki District, clearly in preparation for future conquest.
Shinzaburo contributed 110 men, with Kubo Kumataro leading the team.
There were no other tasks besides that, and finally every night he could enjoy the same treatment as an ordinary married samurai, with his wife by his side.
Others didn't say anything, but when Master Mingzhou visited last time, he subtly mentioned that he hoped to see his grandson soon.
Of course, we must take our father-in-law's instructions seriously.
As long as it's not an inconvenient day, Shinzaburo is working hard.
Adou is a dignified and authoritative wife in public, but behind closed doors she can also be charming and clingy. She is open to all kinds of traditional or unconventional ways of communicating and occasionally has a certain degree of initiative and creativity.
Scoring a brace is a basic skill for me, and I've even scored a hat-trick a few times. The only thing I haven't achieved is a quadruple.
Shinsaburo once felt that his physical strength was not fully recovered when he woke up in the morning.
However, domestic affairs still need to be addressed.
First, Ishikawa Mayuki was dispatched early on to infiltrate the territory of Yamaguni-sho Village 15 and begin his work.
Secondly, he instructed Hashibei to keep watch in Kamigyo Ward and requested that Rinzai monks help with lookout duty, reporting back immediately once the imperial envoy Takeuchi Kiji was about to depart, regardless of wind, rain, day or night. He also entrusted Nagono Takatoki to prepare for his arrival at the Kofuku-ji Temple gate, a crucial point on the route.
Next came the issue of annual tribute.
Previously, only a dozen or so small villages near Hosono Castle had dutifully paid their annual tribute according to the old custom. Everyone else was complaining and making excuses, citing the war in the middle of the year. As a result, the autumn grain collection was still not completed by the end of September.
As the son of a "virtuous man in the underworld," Shinsaburo had a good understanding of the mentality of the local gentry and wealthy farmers.
The residents near the Kumada River and Inoue River generally demanded a temporary reduction of 20%, which clearly shows that they wanted to bargain but were also hesitant, putting them in a state of indecision.
Shinsaburo replied to them: Considering the long war that has indeed occurred this year, the annual tribute will be temporarily reduced by 15%; a land survey will be conducted in late January next year, and villages with too light a burden will be taxed more, while villages with too heavy a burden will be taxed less.
By partially agreeing to their request, scheduling the inspection for several months later, and claiming that there would be both increases and decreases, this was enough to temporarily appease them and create the impression of a combination of kindness and severity.
As expected, after the order was issued, the people near the Kumada River and Inoue River handed over their autumn grain according to the standard of a 15% reduction.
However, when the monk Jingcheng was doing the overall accounting, he found that the numbers for some villages did not match up at all, and some even mixed coarse grains with rice to get by.
However, Shinzaburo instructed that everything should be kept quiet and only noted down.
Finally, there's the Yamaguni-sho village of fifteen near the Yuge River. Led by wealthy farmers who call themselves "Tori-ya," they collectively demanded a 50% reduction in their annual tribute, which was clearly a provocation. Even if their demands were met, they wouldn't show the slightest gratitude; they would only become even more arrogant and domineering.
Shinzaburo deliberately delayed responding to these people's requests.
It wasn't until he received the news from Kumataro and Hashibei, who had traveled all the way back, that the imperial envoy Takeuchi Kiji had left the capital, that he hurriedly ordered Oi, Inatomi, Takemura, and other "military-type" retainers to post the notices they had already written, rejecting the requests from the fifteen villages to reduce their annual tribute.
Then Shinzaburo changed into appropriate clothes, quickly rode out on horseback, and arrived at Kofukuji Monmaecho, where he met up with Nagono Takatoki.
When officials went out, they would naturally wear formal attire if attending a formal event; even for everyday outings, they would at least wear hunting robes. Commoners, samurai, merchants, townspeople, and religious practitioners would not dress like this, so they were quite conspicuous.
During the Warring States period, the public lords were generally not so poor as to starve, but they were also unlikely to have much surplus money, so they were not worried about becoming targets of notorious bandits.
So Takeuchi Kiji walked openly and appeared in front of Kofukuji Temple.
In addition to guards and servants, the entourage included a retainer from Hosokawa Ujitsuna's household and a Zen monk from the Rinzai sect, all of whom he had met a few times and were presumably acting as guides and intermediaries.
Shinzaburo and Nagono Takatoki immediately went to greet him, respectfully bowed to the "Junior Fourth Rank, Junior Grand Steward," and identified themselves.
Takeuchi Kiji was initially a little surprised, but quickly calmed down, gave a very slight smile, nodded calmly, and said in fluent Kyoto dialect, "Why be so polite? The Imperial Court is very pleased with Tanba Takehito Kubo Genban's campaign against the traitorous Utsu family."
This nonchalant demeanor is indeed a skill passed down through generations in government.
Shinzaburo inwardly complained, but outwardly maintained a humble demeanor, pointing to the prepared oxcart and saying, "Lord Daizen, you must be tired from walking here. The oxcart is ready, please take a seat."
Takeuchi Kiji glanced up, his expression unchanged, and said calmly, "It's really too much trouble, I'm very grateful."
Shinzaburo, having been reminded beforehand by Nagono Takatoki, smiled and replied, "According to the imperial system, nobles of five rank or above are required to ride in oxcarts. However, livestock farming is not thriving in Kyoto at present, so please allow me to express my gratitude."
The old custom was indeed in place, but after the Onin War, government officials mostly traveled on foot, mainly due to a lack of money. Prices in the capital were not low; a strong ox capable of pulling a cart consumed a large amount of fodder each year, and with the purchase and maintenance of the cart, plus the driver's wages, it would cost nearly twenty guan annually.
Shinzaburo, being a local samurai, took the initiative to prepare, which was quite friendly. He wasn't wealthy enough to buy it outright, but instead rented it temporarily and had Kouno Takatoki decorate it before bringing it over.
However, Takeuchi Kiji's expression did not soften as a result; he simply smiled and stepped forward.
Then, this "Junior Fourth Rank, Junior Grand Steward" carefully examined the style of the oxcart before finally revealing a satisfied smile. He bowed to Shinzaburo and said, "Kubo Genban is very thoughtful! It is gratifying that there are still warriors who respect etiquette in this day and age!"
Shinzaburo finally received praise from his "benefactor," but he was completely bewildered.
It wasn't until Takeuchi Kiji got into the car and chatted with Kono Takatoki that he understood.
It turns out that there are many different styles of oxcarts.
The Emperor Emeritus used a Tang-style carriage, the Regent and the Grand Counselor used a Rain-Eyebrow carriage, princes and ministers used a Betel Nut-Shaped carriage, four officials used a Hairy carriage, five officials used an Eight-Leaf carriage, the Empress, the Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince used a Blue-Tailed carriage, and concubines and female officials used a Purple-Tailed carriage.
Different types of vehicles have distinctly different decorative styles on their eaves, clearly reflecting the distinction between superiors and inferiors. There may also be some differences in the materials, dimensions, and patterns of the carriage interior.
This wasn't a hard and fast rule, and minor deviations wouldn't be a big problem. However, Kono Takatoki was very meticulous and provided a rank that perfectly matched "Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, Grand Steward," which naturally pleased Takeuchi Kiji.
Shinzaburo thought to himself that he had absolutely no interest in studying such formalities, but he couldn't completely ignore them either. Inviting Kono Takatoki was definitely the right thing to do.
140 must deliver a powerful blow.
With Takatoki Nagono, a guest who was well-versed in etiquette and fluent in the Kyoto dialect, Takeuchi Kiji was in a good mood throughout the journey.
Although he still made some sarcastic comments about the scenery along the way.
"The common people are full of energy and the children are full of vigor" means that the naughty children are too noisy; "The valley is winding and has a wild charm" means that the road is difficult and bumpy; "All the generals are simple and honest" means that the warriors who came to greet them were illiterate.
Fortunately, most people didn't understand the last sentence.
Furthermore, Shinzaburo specifically instructed that Nagono Takatoki should not use a translator.
From another perspective, the fact that someone as dignified as "Grand Master of the Imperial Kitchen" would take the time to come here and speak sarcastically to a group of country folk shows that he was indeed in a good mood.
During his nighttime rest, Takeuchi Kiji consulted Shinzaburo about the process of defeating the Utsu clan, and it wasn't just a casual question; it seemed he genuinely had some interest in the battle.
After listening with great interest, the nobleman added, "Besides waka and sheng, my family also has a tradition of archery. Perhaps one day we will be able to go to the battlefield as a 'warrior's messenger'."
Shinzaburo found it a bit funny, but on the surface he kept praising the other party, saying that he was "both scholarly and martial, and possessed both wisdom and courage".
Then, Takeuchi Kiji said that due to the tight schedule, he could only give verbal praise for the time being. Once the court had investigated the specific circumstances thoroughly, a written document would be issued to formally commend him.
As one might expect, the recipients of the awards were, in order, Hosokawa Ujitsuna, Miyoshi Nagayoshi, and Matsunaga Nagayachi. It was already quite an achievement that Kubo Yoshiaki's name appeared last.
Shinzaburo had no objection to this—and he wasn't faking it.
Now he values accumulating strength more than building up reputation.
Comparatively speaking, we already have a bit too much soft power, but we lack land and military strength.
At this moment, the only thing Shinzaburo wanted to say to Takeuchi Kiji was: "It wasn't just Lord Chikuzen who was so concerned about the campaign against the Utsu clan; his son, Lord Yoshioki, also provided a great deal of assistance. If it weren't for his dispatch of 500 elite troops, the campaign wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
Takeuchi Kiji pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This should be forwarded to my superior."
Shinzaburo then had nothing more to say.
Takeuchi Kiji then inquired about the specific details of the "forbidden lining" Yamaguni-so.
Upon hearing this topic, Shinzaburo's expression immediately turned serious, and he said solemnly, "Due to the tyrannical rule of the Utsu family over the past few decades, the fifteen villages of Yamaguni-sou are now in utter chaos. Honest and kind people have all been murdered, and thugs and bandits run rampant, disregarding laws and regulations and making a living solely from theft and plunder..."
Takeuchi Kiji probably didn't expect that a country samurai would talk more nonsense than a court noble. Unable to maintain his composure, he had to cough lightly and interrupt, "I wonder what troubles have been brewing lately?"
“Alas… I am truly ashamed…” Shinzaburo sighed repeatedly, as if he had something difficult to say. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said, “It is already October, and the autumn grain that should have been collected in August has still not been properly arranged. The wealthy farmers and prominent lords of the fifteen villages of Yamaguni-sou are only willing to pay half of the annual tribute. I have already made it clear that this is not my Kubo family’s territory but the imperial court’s ‘forbidden grain,’ and it is not allowed to act recklessly, but they simply ignore me.”
Upon hearing this, Takeuchi Kiji did not show much emotion. Instead, he smiled and said, "Since the people have fallen into evil because of the Utsu family's wicked policies, they can naturally be educated by good policies. We cannot simply kill them indiscriminately."
"I will keep Lord Daizen's teachings in mind." Shinzaburo replied perfunctorily, then said with concern, "However, the wealthy farmers of the fifteen villages of Yamaguni-sou have become increasingly arrogant and domineering. They even killed the former head of the village, Torii-no-kyo, and used his name to commit a heinous crime. Although I have sent my retainers to suppress them, I do not know if it will be effective."
"I have also seen the tragic state of the Torii residence in the documents." Takeuchi Kiji maintained his gentle demeanor and finally said, "In any case, I must see it with my own eyes before I can say anything."
Shinzaburo could only reply, "Please take care of your health, Lord Daizen."
……
The next day, he set off with his entourage and servants, first taking the slightly wider riverside road in the valley, and then heading west for an hour to reach the vicinity of the Yugaku River.
There was only a mountain path left, which the oxcart could not pass through, so Takeuchi Kiji had to get off and condescend to hike with the others.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the upper reaches of the Daii River, in a flat valley between Mount Iimori and Mount Shirao, where eight of the fifteen villages of Yamaguni-sou are located.
Takeuchi Kiji was in good physical condition, moving freely on the undulating and winding mountain paths. He even had the leisure to look around and comment on the place: "The landscape is beautiful, the soil is fertile, and there are benefits for fishing and woodcutting. It can be called a treasure land."
He seems quite confident about serving as the acting governor of Yamaguni-sho.
However, at this moment, the villagers in the wilderness spotted people dressed in fine clothes and accompanied by a group of guards, and quickly ran back to report the news.
Lacking battlefield experience, Takeuchi Kiji probably didn't discover anything.
Shinzaburo saw it all, but didn't mention it.
Before long, many villagers emerged from houses in the distance, standing in a row with weapons such as bamboo spears and naginatas, blocking the way with expressionless faces.
These people, like people elsewhere, were thin and wore dirty, old clothes. However, their spirits and health seemed quite good; at least most of them did not appear to have been starving for a long time, and none of them were completely naked.
Relatively speaking, they're doing quite well.
This is probably why they would support local "village elders".
Although Takeuchi Kiji had previously boasted that "archery is one of my official duties" and said that "one day I might step onto the battlefield," he had never actually seen blood. When he saw that the people who came with ill intentions, he could no longer maintain his leisurely demeanor and suddenly panicked, turning his head to look at them for help.
Shinzaburo hurriedly ordered Kono Takatoki to protect the nobleman, then stepped forward and angrily shouted, "Lord Daizen is here to inspect the 'Forbidden Foods,' what are you doing? Do you dare to rebel? Get out of here at once!"
Most of the villagers were not good with words, so they did not answer, but simply held their weapons in silence.
But after a while, a voice emerged from the crowd: "The samurai lord only knows how to demand. We can't survive, we can't pay our annual tribute!"
The villagers immediately echoed without hesitation: "That's right! That's right!" "We can't survive!" "We simply can't afford to pay that much annual tribute!" "It's your warriors' fault for being greedy!"
These people seem unaware that hunting robes are worn by the public, and they seem to regard Takeuchi Kiji as a samurai as well.
"Silence!" Shinzaburo roared, using his voice and physique to temporarily suppress the other side, and loudly retorted, "The annual tribute I'm demanding isn't much! If you're not getting enough to eat, you must have been overcharged in the middle!"