The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 16

"Total amount" refers to the total amount collected from the villagers each year, "Zangrufen" refers to the portion that needs to be handed over to Yagi Castle. The remaining "Doushin Kubo Shinzaburofen" is Shinzaburo's salary as a samurai.

The other party produced this document, only listing the value of "hidden tax" among the four tax categories, leaving the rest blank. The implication was the same as before: once this "hidden tax" was paid, the others could still be retained.

However, we need to write down the exact amount that was withheld.

At this moment, Matsunaga Sonroku presented a pen and ink, and said sincerely, "I swear on the name of the Matsunaga family that whatever numbers you write, we will accept them!"

Given this atmosphere, what else can we do?

Shinsaburo dared not take matters involving his own income lightly.

You definitely can't understate your benefits; those are real, tangible gains. If you tell people, they won't think you're generous; they'll just think you're foolish.

But writing too much isn't good either. The cost will ultimately come from the villagers; the more you write, the more they'll have to pay. After all, we've gone from being "village elders" to warriors, so in the short term, it's best to maintain good relations with the villagers of Kubo Village.

After thinking for a while, he decided to complete the "Kubo Village Money and Grain Agreement" based on this year's situation.

So, after just a few strokes of the pen.

The book-like text has become—

"The total amount of the transaction is 3,030 wen; the amount of the hidden portion is 2,000 wen; and the amount of the same name as Kubo Shinzaburo is 1,030 wen."

"The total amount of the money for the main building is three strings of cash; the amount for the hidden money is one string and eight hundred wen; and the amount for the money for the same-hearted Kubo Shinzaburo is one string and two hundred wen."

"Summer grain, total amount, 15 shi; 10 shi for storage; 5 shi for Kubo Shinzaburo of the same mind."

"The total amount of autumn grain is 33.5 shi; 15 shi will be stored; and 18.5 shi will be distributed to Kubo Shinzaburo."

After finishing writing, Matsunaga Sonroku glanced at it briefly, then picked up the document and said with a smile, "I will immediately ask Lord Nagayori to review it, and then I will also co-sign it. Please wait here for a moment!"

Then he turned and left.

Then, after waiting for a full fifteen minutes, Matsunaga Sonroku returned with the document, displaying the fresh signature, seal, and stamp on the paper.

In this way, Kubo Shinzaburo can legally deduct 1,300 kan of cash, 1,200 kan of extra cash, 5 shi of summer grain, and 18 shi and 5 dou of autumn grain from the Kubo Village's grain rations each year as his salary.

They went from being corrupt "local gentry" to legally paid warriors, essentially being recruited from bandits into a regular army.

This also means that they will have to turn their guns on other "local gentry".

……

That night, Shinzaburo—perhaps he should be called Kubo Shinzaburo now—returned to his room, feeling both excited and inevitably apprehensive, when suddenly he was visited by the “pig-slaying hero” Ooi Shigeie.

Ooi Shigeie cut to the chase: "Congratulations on obtaining your surname today and becoming a samurai! Master Meishu said you must be short-handed right now, so he sent me to help. However, he used to pay me twenty-five kan a year, so if you need to pay him in the future... are you able to afford it?"

Twenty-five strings of cash? That's quite a lot of money.

What Kubo Shinzaburo received from the document he had just received was only 23.5 shi of grain per year, plus 2 kan and 500 wen, which amounted to a total of 12 or 13 kan.

Why would anyone hire a helper who earns more than themselves?

However, the Oi Shigeie family were experienced samurai from the East, possessing exceptional strength and knowledge, so they were worth the price.

Judging from the other party's tone, it seemed that even if I said I "couldn't afford it," the old monk would still help me out. But the underlying meaning was a bit different.

Shinzaburo Kubo immediately decided to use Kinbei's father's savings to keep this talented man.

Before nodding, he asked, "Did Master Mingzhou intentionally have you observe me during this time?"

“Yes! It’s not just observation, but also testing.” Ooi Shigeie answered frankly, “But that’s only human nature. Of course, you have to choose carefully when looking for a son-in-law.”

“Alright then.” Kubo Shinzaburo nodded. “I’ll hire you for now. If I ever make something of myself, I’ll definitely ask for your help.”

At this moment, Ōi Shigeie abandoned his nonchalant expression, solemnly bowed, and said loudly, "Thank you, Lord Shinzaburo! I hope to work with you to create great achievements in the future!"

Shinzaburo Kubo responded by handing over the remaining candied chestnuts he had with him.

029 Can this be considered a land inspection plan?

On December 19th, ten days before the New Year, Kubo Shinzaburo, as a "fellow traveler," went out with Matsunaga Magoroku, the "Kawano Township Deputy Governor" who had not yet been officially appointed, to inspect Kubo Village.

Matsunaga Magoroku rode a rather tall and strong horse, accompanied by two foot attendants.

Shinzaburo Kubo originally didn't have a mount, but Master Meishu sent him one as a gift to celebrate his becoming a samurai. He even said it was only worth about five kan and there was no need to worry about it too much.

So today I rode it with a grateful heart.

After several days of intensive training and practice, I feel that my riding skills have improved. I am no longer so nervous and anxious, and I can sit in the saddle with a little more ease.

Kubo Shinzaburo was also accompanied by a foot attendant, Ōi Shigeie, the "pig-hunting hero" he had hired for 25 kan a year.

The group of five, though not large, all looked formidable, and two of them were on horseback, so there was no need to worry about any clueless thieves.

The journey was still fraught with cold winds and rugged mountain paths, making it inconvenient. However, Matsunaga Magoroku, who had always lived in the harbor area and had never seen such scenery before, looked around excitedly.

Half an hour later, after the novelty wore off, he came over to talk to Shinzaburo Kubo.

The very first question he posed was: "Shinzaburo, you should be able to guess the purpose of my visit today, right?"

Without hesitation, Shinzaburo Kubo replied, "It's about land surveying, isn't it?"

"Land inspection?" Matsunaga Sunroku seemed to be hearing this term for the first time. After pondering for a while, he suddenly nodded and said, "This term is well used. It really is about inspecting the land! Investigating the land and grain production of each village, isn't that what 'land inspection' is?"

Shinzaburo Kubo sighed, "Sizing the land, estimating yields, investigating hidden farmland, and verifying the population—it's going to be very troublesome!"

Matsunaga Sonroku was taken aback by his words, then chuckled and shook his head, saying, "How dare I have such a wish? Even with over a hundred capable magistrates under Miyoshi Chikuzen (Miyoshi Nagayoshi), they might not be able to achieve this level of competence within their domain! Where would we find enough manpower?"

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo Kubo was taken aback, realizing he had overthought things. He quickly changed the subject, saying, "Speaking of manpower, I remember you have three allied members assigned to you. Besides me, there are two others..."

Matsunaga Sunroku turned his head and looked over, a meaningful look on his youthful yet dark face. He smiled and said, "Those two have served the Naito family for generations and are used to staying in Yagi Castle. They don't like to go out to the countryside."

Shinzaburo Kubo, sensing the unspoken meaning in the song, pretended to be offering words of comfort to two colleagues he had never met, saying in a serious tone, "It's the end of the year now, and everyone is bound to slack off. I believe those two will definitely work hard after spring begins."

Matsunaga Sonroku neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying lightly, "If that's really the case, then that would be for the best."

Kubo Shinzaburo thought it would be better to steer the conversation back on track than to continue on this topic, so he asked, "Lord Sun, since there aren't enough people to measure the land and investigate hidden fields, how can we investigate the land and grain production of each village?"

"Well..." Matsunaga Sunroku deliberately dragged out his words before slowly saying, "First of all, we must look at the villagers' food, clothing, housing, and transportation. If they are too poor, it means that too much money and grain have been collected; if they are living well, it means that too little money and grain have been collected. The right situation is to ensure that the people are not starving or freezing to death, but also not able to save any extra money."

That's really an unpleasant way to put it; it fully demonstrates the ugly face of the feudal landlord class.

However, after obtaining the family name and position, Kubo Shinzaburo had clearly entered the feudal landlord class, so he could only keep quiet at this moment, losing some of the little integrity he had left.

Matsunaga Magoro, unaware of anything amiss, continued, "Also, compare the amounts of taxes paid with other villages of similar size and environment. If the differences are too great, then corrections are definitely needed. Then, within the same region, examine the ratio of taxes paid to the population in each village. The village with the most drastically different ratios might be the problem. Of course, if you have close ties with neighboring merchants, you can also discern whether someone is concealing production by examining the volume of grain transactions."

That makes some sense. It did broaden Kubo Shinzaburo's thinking, so he nodded.

After a pause, Matsunaga Sunroku continued, "Finally, no matter what, let's set the amount as high as possible first. If the people really can't afford it, they'll always find a way to plead for them. Then we can reduce it a little, and the villagers will be grateful."

How despicable!

Shinzaburo Kubo thought to himself, "You wicked exploiting class deserve to be dealt with by the Ikki."

Wait, I think I'm also part of the exploiting class, but that's okay.

Perhaps noticing that Kubo Shinzaburo's expression wasn't good, Matsunaga Sunroku added, "Of course, there's no need to investigate Kubo Village. Lord Nagayori specifically instructed that whatever Shinzaburo writes, we will accept it. If you want to change the numbers in the future, as long as the 'hidden amount' submitted to Yagi Castle doesn't decrease, we will approve it."

This condition can indeed be considered a very generous favor.

Whether it was out of respect for Master Myoshu of Kōfuku-ji Temple or for some other reason, at least their attitude was friendly enough.

Shinzaburo Kubo sincerely thanked him.

However, he still felt that what he had just said was somewhat different from his understanding of "land inspection".

I used to think that the Naito family's rule was weak, but now I see that although the people from the Miyoshi family have more advanced ideas, they are still not as powerful as I imagined.

Perhaps it's because the era is still too early.

Historically, it seems that the stone dart system became widespread during the Momoyama period.

That's still several decades away.

However, it seems that the Miyoshi family has not shown any signs of even establishing a high-level system, let alone a high-level system.

This may again involve the issue of the uneven pace of social development between the western and eastern provinces. Currently, the Kanagawa system should be quite well-established in the Takeda and Hojo regions.

For a moment, Shinzaburo Kubo fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Matsunaga Sunroku asked, "What is Shinzaburo still worried about? Are you hesitating, unsure whether to help me deal with the villagers or help the villagers deal with me?"

Upon hearing this, Kubo Shinzaburo quickly shook his head and said, "Since I have been fortunate enough to be promoted to 'Dōshin' (a high-ranking official), and I am receiving the emperor's bounty, I must naturally be loyal to the emperor. However, I am worried that the people of Tanba are known for their unruly and undisciplined nature... If Lord Sonroku causes any trouble on this trip..."

"Rest assured!" Matsunaga Sonroku's dark yet youthful face showed a confident expression as he calmly said, "Since my childhood, I have accompanied Lord Danjo on many occasions to witness the Miyoshi clan's land register investigations, and I already know how to handle it. As long as you, Shinzaburo, a local, are willing to help, it can be handled flawlessly. You should know Lord Danjo, right? That is my uncle in the clan, named Hisahide, the current lord of Takiyama Castle, who guards the western part of Settsu Province for Miyoshi Chikuzen (Miyoshi Nagayoshi)."

Since they'd already said that, there was no point in questioning him. Kubo Shinzaburo then bowed slightly on his horse and said in a flattering tone, "Then I wish Lord Sun Liu a resounding victory!"

Unexpectedly, he was too relaxed and overestimated his riding skills. Coincidentally, his mount was also clueless; it slipped on the ice and snow, and the resulting forward and backward movement caused it to lose its balance, nearly falling off.

Fortunately, Shigeie Oi was on foot by his side, and quickly grabbed the reins, pressed down on the horse's neck and stroked it to slow it down. Then he quietly supported Shinzaburo Kubo's waist, and after the horse calmed down, he took two steps back without making a sound, pretending that nothing had happened.

Kubo Shinzaburo himself wasn't bothered by what happened. After all, he wasn't a proper samurai who had learned archery and horsemanship from a young age! There always has to be a learning curve.

Matsunaga Sunroku awkwardly turned his head away, coughed twice, and changed the subject, saying, "If we have enough money, food, and manpower in the future, it would be best to build a small branch city under our jurisdiction as a residence for the acting governor. But we don't have the resources for that at the moment, so we may have to stay at Shinzaburo's house from time to time."

Kubo Shinzaburo laughed and said, "I'm afraid my humble abode is too shabby and does not suit the status of Lord Sun Liu! In fact, there are two or three abandoned small town ruins nearby. If they are repaired a little, they may be able to be revived."

Upon hearing this, Matsunaga Magoro paused, then squinted and said, "As far as I know, under the Naito clan's rule, they originally appointed castle magistrates for each branch castle in Funai District to guard the area and oversee the villages. However, later on, discipline loosened, and the system became ineffective, with each branch castle gradually falling into disrepair. If we could find a way to restore them..."

030 Old Man Jinbingwei's Resolve

As agreed beforehand, the group arrived in Kubo Village discreetly and quietly. Even if the villagers saw them, they would only assume they were "Lord Otsuna's samurai friends" and would never suspect that the newly appointed acting magistrate was making a clandestine visit.

But things were different when I got home.

Although Jinbingwei was seriously injured and looked exhausted, when he heard that the visitor was called "Matsunaga Sonroku", he immediately understood something from the surname and respectfully bowed despite his pain.

Then they quietly exchanged glances.

Shinzaburo Kubo nodded slightly in response.

Seeing this, Matsunaga Sunroku smiled and said, "You and your son must have something to say to each other. Why don't I go to the guest room to rest first?"

So Kubo Shinzaburo sent the young boy Shingoro to take the guests over.

In Kubo Village, only the Otsunami family had two guest rooms. Matsunaga Magoroku was staying in one room, his two guards were staying in the other, and there was also the Oi Shigeie family who had come along. They could only ask Kumakichi to help them make room.

In addition, there were two horses, and they also took out money and instructed the villagers to take good care of them.

Seeing Matsunaga Magoro leave, old man Kinbei couldn't wait to speak: "You should know what I want to ask!"

Kubo Shinzaburo remained calm and unhurried. He first took out a letter of appointment and said slowly, "From now on, the villagers should call me Kubo Shinzaburo, a member of the comrades under the Noguchi Village magistrate!"

"Good, good, good! This is equivalent to having a surname, becoming a samurai!" Old Man Jinbingwei was so happy to see this that he danced with joy, which aggravated his wound, causing him to groan in pain before calming down. He then quickly asked, "What does this Noguchi village magistrate do? And what is the meaning of 'Doshinshu'?"

Shinzaburo Kubo shook his head and said, "I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush, take a look at this."

Then he took out the "Kubo Village Money and Grain Agreement".

When Jin Bingwei's father took a look, he was initially puzzled, but after slowly understanding it, he was immediately shocked and exclaimed in surprise, "Does this mean that the higher-ups have approved my family's right to embezzle money and grain? But how can such a thing be put in writing? It's so embarrassing!"

Shinzaburo Kubo said irritably, "Isn't this how samurai receive their stipends?"

After thinking for a moment, Jin Bingwei's father reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Then, Shinzaburo Kubo gave a brief overview of the reform plan that Nagayori Matsunaga announced at Yagi Castle, focusing on the "deputy officials" and "union".

Old Man Jinbingwei immediately realized what was going on and asked, "That Lord Matsunaga Magoroku, is he probably a member of Lord Matsunaga Nagayori's faction? Could he be the future magistrate of this area?"

Shinzaburo Kubo nodded and said in a low voice, "He is Lord Nagayori's cousin. Don't tell the people too much for now; we'll officially announce it after the New Year."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Jinbingwei said with concern, "I think this person looks honest and naive, but he is actually a shrewd man. Having such a deputy official will probably make things inconvenient in the future. By the way, has Master Mingzhou of Guangfu Temple made any statement?"

Kubo Shinzaburo shook his head and sighed, "Master Meishu's senior brother, who is also the head of the Daitokuji school of the Rinzai sect, sent a letter asking him to comply with Lord Matsunaga Nagayori's reform plan."

"I see." After a moment's thought, Old Man Jin Bingwei slammed his hand on the floor and said decisively, "It will only get harder and harder to get benefits behind the backs of the higher-ups in the future. Why not change direction and do our best to assist them in order to get promoted?"

"That's what I was thinking too. You're really quick-witted!" Shinzaburo Kubo exclaimed in surprise. "I was a bit confused the other day and it took me a while to make this decision. I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly!"

"Your father didn't eat for nothing for fifty years!" Old Man Jinbingwei proudly stroked his beard, then lowered his voice and asked, "Lord Matsunaga Nagayori, did you bring many relatives to Yagi Castle?"

Shinzaburo Kubo thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I think there were only two or three."

"That's it!" Old Man Jinbingwei's eyes gleamed, and he said solemnly, "Although the deputy governor in charge of thirteen villages is quite powerful, it's not worth it for His Highness Nagayari's family to hold the position for long! I think that this Lord Matsunaga Magoroku will be promoted further if he makes any meritorious contributions. You are currently ranked first among his 'comrades,' so you should strive to succeed him!"

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo Kubo was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he slowly nodded and said, "You're right, sir. I hadn't thought of that at all!"

Old Man Jinbingwei laughed and said, "You were blessed by the Immovable King, so you must be capable enough. But there are always limits to what one person can think of, and sometimes you still need someone to help you come up with ideas."

Shinzaburo Kubo nodded again. Then, remembering something, he quickly said, "Do you remember Shigeie Oi, the one who killed the wild boar? I agreed to hire him for 25 kan per year."

"Twenty-five guan?" Old Man Jin Bingwei stood up instantly, as if the arrow wound in his leg had healed. In an instant, he screamed and fell back down, but he still didn't care about the pain. He just shook his head repeatedly: "You don't care about the money I've worked so hard to save for decades!"

Seeing this, Shinzaburo Kubo deliberately said, "Why don't I tell him to cancel the agreement and just part ways?"

“That…that won’t do either.” Old Man Jinbingwei said with a pained expression, “Since we want to take over the position of that Matsunaga Magoro, the more people who can help, the better. Shingoro is too young to do anything, and although Kumakichi and the others in the village are reliable, they are not very capable and are not very useful…Twenty-five kan it is! The silver in the cellar can still support us.”