The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 117

Adou smiled and nodded, displaying the dignified and graceful demeanor of a matriarch, and then whispered to the head of the household, "It seems that some narrow-minded people are talking about this."

Shinzaburo understood immediately and got up to leave without saying a word.

Adou immediately followed behind.

The others then bowed respectfully and saw them off.

After passing through the courtyard, walking along the corridor past the dining room and the storeroom, and entering the bedroom, Shinzaburo stopped and asked, "Are you still saying the same things?"

Adou nodded, counting on her fingers as she recalled, "Today it was Ichikawa, Hongo, Oi, and the wives of Inoue Daihachiro and Noguchi Seijiro. They all quietly inquired about Awaya and Oyamada, their implication being nothing more than hoping you would show leniency. They also hinted that Lord Katsura from Kyoto was somewhat too harsh and might not be suitable to handle the judgment in this case."

"In other words, it's not just Wakasa people, but other retainers from different backgrounds also have their own ideas." Shinzaburo gave a cryptic chuckle. "Although the Kubo family members haven't worked together for very long, they're quite united."

Adou pretended not to hear those words and sat quietly to the side with her head down.

After a moment of silence, Shinzaburo suddenly asked, "Azumi, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Adou quickly shook her head: "How could I possibly speak nonsense about household affairs?"

“Since that’s the case, then you have thoughts but are unwilling to express them.” Shinzaburo’s tone was very calm, showing no emotional fluctuation. “Now I hope you will speak frankly.”

“Hmm…” Adou frowned, looking somewhat embarrassed. After stammering for a while, she cautiously said, “I think that Lords Awaya and Oyamada have been confined to their homes for more than ten days, so they can be considered to have received some punishment, right? In addition, there are six households of people who have been imprisoned… They should all have a final decision.”

"The final decision?" Shinzaburo's expression was relaxed, but he didn't seem to be joking. "What if Katsura Yoshinobu's final decision is to order Awaya and Oyamada to retire and pass the family name to the Kubo family, and I approve of that?"

"Ah?!" Adou was shocked and speechless. Then, she subconsciously shrank her shoulders, clasped her hands tightly in front of her, and hesitated for a long time before kneeling down and speaking softly. Her voice was almost inaudible, but it was filled with deep sorrow: "The affairs of the Kubo family are naturally your decision, and no one is allowed to interfere. But... but... if outsiders think that you are getting arrogant after your victory, and that you are starting to rely more on civil officials to suppress military officers, then in the end... in the end..."

She probably didn't dare to say the last half of the sentence.

“If even Adou says so…” A glint of light flashed in Shinzaburo’s eyes.

……

Two days later, Shinzaburo arrived at Andokuji Temple near Kohama Bay with a small number of retainers, claiming that he wanted to pray for his family.

This is a small Rinzai Buddhist temple with a history, which was destroyed in the war decades ago. Now, Shinzaburo has donated some real estate to support the reconstruction of the temple and to accommodate Master Meishu, who left Kyoto.

With the arrival of Master Mingzhou, a highly respected figure in the Chan school, this place quickly became a gathering place for monks, merchants, and intellectuals from the surrounding area, and was always packed with distinguished guests.

When Shinzaburo arrived, there were also a dozen or so people around who witnessed it.

After burning incense as was customary, Master Meishu suddenly offered a solemn and sincere piece of advice: "Lords Awaya and Lord Oyamada are both pillars of Wakasa. Although they have made mistakes, they have been reflecting on their actions in seclusion for twenty days. Shouldn't we consider granting them forgiveness?"

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo's expression changed drastically, and he said coldly, "Originally, it was indeed not a big deal, and only a slight reprimand would have sufficed. But various groups have been coming to plead for leniency, and even you, sir, have been invited. Are you trying to form cliques for personal gain? Who is really in charge of Wakasa Province?"

"Lord Kubo Sado, please calm down." Master Mingzhou spoke gently, responding softly, his demeanor remaining dignified as always, without the slightest loss of composure. "This old monk spoke carelessly and recklessly, and I suppose he was not thinking things through. Since there is more to this matter than meets the eye, you may make your own decision."

At this moment, Katsura Yoshinobu, standing nearby, sighed and spoke out in indignation: "Forgive my bluntness, but if it were a lord without a lord, it would have already fallen into the hands of Echizen Asakura and would have suffered countless wars. Some ungrateful people are even worse than cattle and horses in terms of integrity."

"How could you say such a thing?" Shinzaburo glanced at him sideways and reprimanded him, but his tone was not too harsh.

"I'm so sorry, I was just indignant and lost my composure." Gui Yixin instantly transformed into a servile sycophant, kneeling down in fear and trepidation to admit his mistake.

"Lord Katsura Yoshinobu, it's quite rare to see you without the aloofness and arrogance common among Kyoto residents," Master Mingzhou couldn't help but sarcastically remark.

Katsura Yoshinobu replied with feigned seriousness, "Even a proud and aloof person would probably have to kneel down in the presence of a great lord like Lord Kubo Sado."

221. Taking advantage of the situation to establish an account.

Katsuhisa Awaya was a samurai who adhered to traditional ways. Although he clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with the status quo, he would rather accept the arrangement than outwardly comply than inwardly defy it, as long as he had not yet made up his mind to break off relations.

His Kokuyoshi Castle was built on a mountain in the eastern part of Wakasa. The surrounding area was not bustling and had no special scenery, but it was quiet and natural, making it a place for self-cultivation.

Today, Katsuhisa Awaya, who had been ordered to stay home and reflect on his mistakes, sat alone on the tatami mat in his study, dressed in plain clothes. He held a copy of "On Plum and Pine" in his hand, but did not open it to read. Instead, he gazed at the white clouds outside the window, lost in thought.

Suddenly a servant outside the door reported: "My lord, that monk who claims to have an ancient handwritten copy of the Taiping Ji for sale has come again."

Upon hearing this, Katsuhisa Awaya sighed, his face a mixture of worry and joy. After a moment's hesitation, he ordered, "Then bring them over." His tone was deliberately indifferent.

A short while later, a middle-aged man entered the room and bowed. He was wearing a coarse cloth robe and a headscarf covering half of his face. He did indeed look like a traveling merchant who was half monk and half merchant, but his demeanor carried a subtle charm that was both mercenary and scholarly, obsequious yet arrogant.

Katsuhisa Awaya slightly raised his eyes, and upon seeing the newcomer's face, he showed no surprise: "So, the bookseller who possesses the ancient handwritten copy of the Taiheiki is none other than you, Minbu Shirai. When did you become a monk?"

"Years have passed since we last met, and my friend Ukyo Ryo's gaze remains as sharp as ever." The middle-aged man dressed as a monk chuckled, unconcerned about revealing his identity. "Back then, you and I often discussed the stories of the Taiheiki. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to use this as a hint?"

Shirai Mitsutane, a junior official in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, used to fight alongside Awaya Ukyo Ryō Katsuhisa as a samurai in Wakasa, but now he has become a beggar under the Echizen Asakura.

Given the current situation, it is clearly not appropriate to appear in public; the only option is to meet incognito.

"Enough with the small talk." Awaya Katsuhisa didn't give his old friend a friendly look. "What brings you here today?"

“Alright, let’s get straight to the point.” Shirai Mitsutane sat down, flicking his sleeve, and began to speak eloquently: “Ukyo Ryo, you suffered such mistreatment at the hands of Kubo Sado, didn’t you feel even a little resentment?”

"What good is resentment if we can't win?" Katsuhisa Awaya was quite straightforward, speaking without expression. "Not only are you and I no match for them, but even the Echizen Asakura behind us has been defeated."

"Times have changed." Shirai Mitsutane, however, seemed to have a sudden surge of confidence. Pointing to the "Treatise on Plum and Pine" in the other man's hand, he offered a metaphor: "The Great Pagoda was initially known for its humility, wisdom, and courage, which earned the loyalty of heroes from both the court and the countryside. It swept away the Six Haras and enjoyed boundless glory. However, one day, it became arrogant and overstepped its bounds, and its defeat and death were imminent. Even the wise men of old were like this. Could Kubo Sado have escaped this fate?"

“We can’t just believe one side of the story.” Katsuhisa Awaya stroked his chin and shook his head. “Some people say that the Great Tower Prince did not abuse his power, but was framed and murdered by a tyrannical emperor.”

"Ukyo Ryo's words are indeed sharp. But it's true that you were ordered to reflect on your actions behind closed doors!" Shirai Mitsutane's eyes gleamed, his tone a mix of praise and sarcasm. "Our small-scale trial, inciting the people to relocate, has already left Kubo Sado in a dilemma. How can he be the ruler of Wakasa? As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances..."

"I knew it was you guys causing trouble." Awaya Katsuhisa snorted and glanced sideways. "However, none of the Takeda family members are willing to take on the responsibility of guarding the land anymore. If Kubo Sado is incapable of being a lord, then who will he follow? Surely it's not like you, Shirai Minbe, who will step down!"

"Haha, I still have my own self-awareness." Shirai Mitsutane chuckled twice and pointed eastward. "Echizen Asakura has been well-managed for a century, with well-trained soldiers and ample provisions. The current head of the clan, Lord Kingo, is knowledgeable in both ancient and modern times, far-sighted, and his prestige is awe-inspiring. He is far superior to Kubo Sado, who comes from a rural background."

“Echizen and Asakura alone are not enough.” Awaya Katsuhisa shook his head coldly. “Even if he were to defeat Kubo by chance, he would not be a match for Miyoshi.”

“What if there are also Rokkaku of Omi, Hatakeyama of Kawachi, and Mori of Aki?” Shirai Mitsutane said eloquently, “With the banner of the former Kanrei Seigen-dono’s second son, and the monk Kennyo of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple, are also quite interested.”

"If that's the case, then that's perfect!" Katsuhisa Awaya finally relaxed his brow and revealed a genuine smile.

"Is Ukyo Ryo willing to abandon darkness and embrace the light?" Shirai Mitsutane was overjoyed.

“No, no, no…” Katsuhisa Awaya shook his head and said slowly, “What I mean is, it’s worth the trouble of putting on such a show to get you to say those words.”

"Huh? What? You're acting!" Shirai Mitsutane's expression changed drastically, his face filled with disbelief.

"Are you surprised? Actually, I'm just as surprised." Katsuhisa Awaya stroked his chin, looking puzzled. "Why did you all so easily believe that Sado Kubo has become arrogant and intolerant? Is it just because he comes from a humble background?"

"Hmph! Well done, Awaya Ukyo Ryo! What more can be said now!" Shirai Mitsutane hurriedly stood up, subconsciously reaching for his waist, only to find it empty.

After all, he was here today disguised as a monk selling books to pay homage to the city lord. How could the guards possibly allow him to bring weapons into the city?

"Why the rush to leave?" Katsuhisa Awaya shook his head and sighed. "When old friends meet, they should at least share a drink."

Knowing he couldn't escape, Shirai Mitsutane turned pale and gritted his teeth, saying, "I misjudged you, Awaya Ukyosuke. Do with me as you please."

“As expected of my friend Shirai Minbu, although you never improve in terms of intelligence and strategy, you have no fear in the face of life and death, which makes you a hero.” Awaya Katsuhisa smiled kindly. “Since you have this resolve, come with me to see the true character of Kubo Sado.”

"True magnanimity?" Shirai Mitsutane frowned, puzzled.

Katsuhisa Awaya explained, "When Lord Sado Kubo commissioned me to perform this play, I made a request that if the person who was being fished out was an old friend of mine, I would like to ask for a chance to help him. He agreed."

Shirai Mitsutane was silent for a while, then lowered his head and sighed, saying desolately, "If Kubo Sado can truly keep his promise, his magnanimity is probably... perhaps... far superior to Asakura Kingo."

“Let’s wait and see.” Katsuhisa Awaya’s tone was relaxed. “By the way, Sado Kubo is currently conquering Tango, and there will likely be more military plans in the future. If you can figure it out, the Shirai Minbe family’s lost foundation might not be impossible to reclaim.”

"I was just about to come and persuade you when I fell into your trap." Shirai Mitsutane shook his head and smiled bitterly. "With my limited abilities, do I even have a chance to rebuild my family business?"

"Strategic maneuvering is not your forte. The battlefield is where my friend Shirai Minbu truly belongs!" Awaya Katsuhisa earnestly advised. "You are clearly a warrior, why abandon your strengths for your weaknesses? Didn't you used to look down on Itsumi Suruga-no-kami for his trickery? Now you're even worse than Itsumi Suruga-no-kami!"

Shirai Mitsutane remained silent.

……

Two days later, Shirai Minbu Junior Assistant Mitsutane was escorted to Kohama Castle.

Shinzaburo told his dozen or so important retainers that the unauthorized relocation of the six households was intentionally orchestrated by the Wakasa ronin, who had lost his territory, under orders from Echizen Asakura. His earlier feigned anger was merely a ploy to lure out the person behind it all.

Everyone was in an uproar.

Ichikawa Sadaharu and others, who harbored deep hatred for the Echizen Asakura family, were stationed in Tango and were not present. However, the other Wakasa residents also felt the pain of their family temple being burned down and were mostly wary.

However, Shinzaburo immediately added that now was not the time to settle scores with Echizen Asakura, and that the matter should be put on hold and not made public. Besides, he had already promised Awaya Katsuhisa that if his friend was caught, he should be lenient.

Of course, there was another reason in his heart, which was that Shirai Mitsutane's value was too low.

Releasing someone so lacking in intelligence would pose no harm.

Therefore, Shirai Mitsutane was not subjected to any torture or mistreatment. He was simply ordered to be placed under house arrest, treated well, and released after a period of time.

Katsuhisa Awaya calmly bowed and expressed his gratitude, as if he was not surprised at all by the outcome.

Shirai Mitsutane himself was greatly shocked and remarked before leaving, "Kubo Sado rose from a lowly underworld figure to the lord of Wakasa in just a few years; it was no fluke."

Then, Shinzaburo announced: "Since the relocation of the six households was caused by foreign forces, we will not punish them severely for the time being. However, the fact that the annual tribute paid by different samurai territories varies is indeed a hidden danger. I hope that from now on, everyone will carefully inspect the villages more often and revise the taxes to be reasonable. If you are unable to do so, you can ask the Kubo family's magistrate to help estimate the land and predict the yield."

Katsuhisa Awaya took the lead in responding, stating that he had indeed made a great oversight in the past and would correct his mistakes in the future, working with the Kubo family's magistrate to re-establish a more reasonable annual tribute standard.

Nobumura Oyamada also reflected on the situation, acknowledging that a tax rate significantly lower than the standard value was not conducive to stability, and that it was more appropriate to follow the Kubo family's policies.

With this in mind, most members agreed to establish a "knowledge and action ledger" and a "military service agreement".

For the past month, Shinzaburo's tough stance had left a deep impression on Wakasa. Although it was eventually proven to be a ruse, the situation was still quite frightening at the time.

Through observation over this period of time, everyone can see that if Shinzaburo really gets carried away and insists on doing something arbitrary, it will be difficult for anyone to stand up and stop him.

222 Forestry, fishing, livestock, and mining are all included in the calculation.

After the upper echelons reached a consensus that "foreign forces were causing trouble," Shinzaburo ordered Kobayashi Nagamitsu, Hata Masanobu, and others to be in charge of statistics, while Nagono Takatoki, Katsura Yoshinobu, and others were in charge of investigation. They launched a new mission to investigate the ownership of land, tax collection methods, and military service scale of all the samurai in Wakasa, under the pretext of avoiding potential problems.

We will not make any detailed requirements for now. As long as there is a clear number and there is no excessive separation spectrum, we will try our best to accept it.

After all, at the level of institutional reform, the gap from zero to one is greater than the gap from one to ten.

First, get the "Knowledge and Action Accounts" out. After a few years, once the foundation of your rule is further consolidated, you can gradually make adjustments under the guise of "New Field Investigation".

At present, Shinzaburo has no plans to tax the samurai class or establish a system of ceremonial duties; the matter only involves military service and corvée labor.

Military service is an easy issue to discuss.

Shinzaburo was a renowned and invincible general. Following him on campaigns often guaranteed a good meal, and even if one didn't receive a new favor, there was always a share of the bounty. As a result, many Wakasa samurai were even willing to recruit more soldiers for campaigns or raise money to purchase armor and weapons beyond what was required.

Labor service, however, is a bit troublesome.

During the Warring States period, the traditional social order collapsed, and there were no unified standards for labor service; everything was done according to local conditions.

For example, the island town where Shinzaburo lives at this time is still a semi-finished product. Many components are not yet repaired, and "general labor" (or construction labor) needs to be conscripted during the off-season. Civil engineering materials rely on "mountain labor," and some materials that need to be purchased may require the cooperation of "boat labor" and "horse labor."

Previously, without any data foundation, we could only make do and negotiate, which made it relatively easy to bargain. However, with a "knowledge and action ledger" in place, it will obviously be much more difficult to fool people.

Therefore, some people would conceal part of their land area, some would claim that the yield per unit area in their territory was too low to support many people, and others would demand a discount under the pretext of supporting temples and shrines. Whatever the reason, Shinzaburo mostly turned a blind eye and accepted it.

As I said before, the current challenge is to go from zero to one.

It's worth mentioning that the name is "Jian Di" (检地), and the statistics are not limited to land.

Information on other forestry, fishery, animal husbandry, handicrafts, mining, and commerce was required to be included in the registers.

The specific figures for these projects are even more difficult to obtain than those for agriculture, and in areas of Wakasa other than Kohama Bay, they are practically non-existent, so it is impossible to verify them at all; whatever is reported is taken as fact.

But as long as you handle it properly, there's no need to worry too much.

In the Umegaya area within the territory of Hisamura Shinano-no-kami, a small logging camp was built, and it was initially said that last year's income was only 7,500 kan.

When the person in charge, Gui Yixin, heard this, he just smiled and said, "Isn't this a terrible failure? I would like to suggest to my lord that this place be handed over to the Kubo family's steward, and you will receive 15 kan of silver from the treasury every year thereafter."

Then Hisamura Shinano-no-kami became very embarrassed, stammered for a long time, and changed his words, saying, "Last year's market was really bad. In the past, I could earn about 20 kan."

Katsura Yoshinobu nodded, and with a flourish of his pen, wrote "Umegaya-dake, forest products of twenty kan" on the page for "Kumura Shinano-no-kami".

In this way, with a little bit of skill, relatively reliable data can be obtained.

For a period of time, Katsura Yoshinobu successfully played the role of a detestable yet feared opportunistic and cruel official. Although it was largely a pretense, one gets used to it after a while, and maintaining this image won't do much harm to his future work.

……

While conducting the land survey, a merchant from Obama Port Town asked Obama Deputy Hasegawa Munehito with concern: "Is the matter of Echizen merchants using counterfeit money to pass off inferior goods in Wakasa, as mentioned the other day, related to the Asakura family? Will it affect the smooth flow of trade?"

This question is quite representative.

If Sakohama and Echizen Tsuruga, as two ports north of Kyoto, had a relationship of both cooperation and competition, then if they became hostile due to political entanglements, it would naturally affect their business.

Hasegawa Munehito dared not answer on his own, so he reported it to Shinzaburo and requested that a public announcement be issued.

Shinzaburo sent Manmatsu Yoshikiyo to deal with it.

Mansatsu Yoshikiyo, together with Hasegawa Munehito, summoned the port town's official merchants and other powerful merchants, as well as respected monks from the surrounding area, and declared in an unquestionable official tone: "This matter has been investigated and found to be the act of a group of unscrupulous merchants from Echizen, and there was no one behind it. Please rest assured that trade with Echizen can continue as normal."

That's what they said, but it didn't completely dispel the rumors.

Because Mansho Yoshikiyo was not a person of high rank or power, and his temperament was gentle and approachable, the merchants were not afraid of him and dared to say some slightly offensive things.

One of the bolder Wu clothing merchants openly claimed that he had heard completely contradictory information from a servant in the household of a wealthy man a few days ago; another rice merchant recalled that previous reports said unscrupulous merchants not only used counterfeit money to pass off inferior goods as superior ones but also encouraged farmers to relocate illegally, clearly with the intention of swindling money; even Masaharu, the official merchant of Kohama Bay, couldn't help but raise doubts: "I have seen a counterfeit coin used by an unscrupulous merchant. It was very cleverly made, and it was difficult to distinguish without careful examination. Do ordinary petty thieves have such ability?"

To be honest, Junichi Kukaku really hit the nail on the head.

The "tools" used in this operation were secretly transported from the Nanzenji Temple warehouse by Master Mingzhou's apprentice. They were a batch of "high-end counterfeit money" that had been seized in Sakai Town many years ago, and were suspected to be made by elite craftsmen from Saiga. They were indeed beyond the capabilities of ordinary petty thieves.