vncnus Page 19
Page 19
Balangzuo was stunned for a long time, and fear gradually appeared in his eyes. He said in a trembling voice, "What kind of person is that Lord Sun Liu? Could he deliberately torture us to extract a confession, take advantage of the chaos, and use the heads of our entire village to cover up his crime?"
Kubo Shinzaburo gasped, feigning fear, and shook his head, saying, "I've only just met this samurai sir, and I dare not say I know him well. But judging from his appearance, he might very well be capable of such a thing."
Hachiro hesitated for a moment, then asked, "The new acting official is named Matsunaga Sonroku. The official in Yagi Castle who is temporarily acting as the head of the clan also has the surname Matsunaga. Could it be..."
"They're uncle and nephew!" Kubo Shinzaburo said indignantly. "Otherwise, why would I be so respectful to him? I'm a favorite of Master Kofuku-ji Meishu, after all. If he were just an ordinary samurai without any background, would he be able to boss me around like this?"
Hachiro sat there speechlessly, his expression shifting between sinister and panicked.
After waiting a while, Shinzaburo Kubo stepped forward and said slowly, "Actually, Uncle Hachiro, I have thought of a way to divert the attention of that Matsunaga Magoro-sama, so that he won't keep bothering us..."
035 It would be better to surrender sooner.
Otona Hachiroza of Shimizu Village was clearly not a gullible fellow, but he was at his wit's end. He could only put on a sincere act, bowed and said, "Since you have a way, please be kind enough to help our Shimizu Village!"
"No need for formalities, no need for formalities!" Kubo Shinzaburo helped the other man up again, lowered his voice and quickened his pace, saying, "Actually, the reason that Matsunaga Magoro is chasing after you is because Shimizu Village is indeed a bit dirty, too conspicuous, and it's easy for them to embellish the story and force the blame onto you. But think about it, there's actually another target nearby that's even dirtier, more conspicuous, and easier to embellish the story."
"Uh...you mean..." Hachirozusa didn't seem to be known for his intellectual abilities, at least not on the surface. He frowned and pondered for a long time, still unable to figure it out, so he had to lower his stance and ask again: "Of the dozen or so villages nearby, our Shimizu Village is probably the most...cough cough...the most vibrant. Are there any other more prominent ones?"
"Don't you really understand?" Kubo Shinzaburo changed his tone, deliberately delaying for a while before slowly saying, "I heard that you like to gamble a bit at the small casino nearby. That privately run casino probably doesn't have any samurai or temples backing it up, so wouldn't it be perfect to use it as a suspect?"
"That's right!" Hachiro suddenly realized, stood up abruptly, and asked doubtfully, "We don't have any shops around here, so the casino is the only suitable place to launder the stolen jewelry. That new magistrate named Matsunaga Sonroku should be suspecting the casino!"
"Look at what you're saying..." Kubo Shinzaburo laughed, "I'm a native of Kubo Village, and I've lived here for so many years. I've only ever heard of this place, never actually been inside. How would someone who came from the Miyoshi family know there's a casino nearby?"
"Oh...that's true, that's true." At this moment, the look of panic on the face of Otsuna Hachiro from Shimizu Village gradually disappeared, and he lowered his head and fell into thought, his expression rather complicated.
Seeing this, Kubo Shinzaburo advised, "In my opinion, we should work together to wipe out this casino. That way, the new deputy magistrate Matsunaga Magoro can curry favor with the big shots above, I can also make a small appearance, and even you can be considered to have made a contribution and be rewarded."
"To earn merit and receive a reward?" Hachiro questioned, "I'm just a naval officer from Shimizu Village, not a samurai. What are you talking about earning merit and receiving a reward?"
Shinzaburo Kubo laughed and said, "Two months ago, I wasn't a samurai either."
Upon hearing this, Hachiro was first shocked, then his expression shifted to a mixture of excitement and fear, and he even stammered, "You...you mean...you mean..."
Kubo Shinzaburo waved his hand to signal the other party to calm down, and then explained in a soft voice: "Haven't you heard that after the death of the previous governor, his son-in-law, Matsunaga Nagayori, took over Yagi Castle with the support of the Miyoshi family? They don't trust the hereditary retainers of the Naito family now, but are more willing to promote 'virtuous men from the underworld' to become samurai."
"So that's how it is!" Hachirozo appeared to have suddenly understood, and it didn't seem fake. He concentrated intently, thought for a while, and nodded with delight, saying, "I see! It really is a good opportunity!"
"And..." Kubo Shinzaburo pressed on, "Our acting governor was originally assigned two Naito family retainers as 'comrades-in-arms.' But guess what? Those two stole money from the treasury and ran away!"
"So our Lord Matsunaga Magoro is currently short of manpower!" Hachiroza's fear had completely vanished, replaced by a surge of pride. He clenched his fist and declared, "Indeed, danger is opportunity. We must seize this chance!"
……
Without delay, after a brief discussion, Kubo Shinzaburo took Otona Hachiroza from Shimizu Village to Yagi Castle the next day to report to Matsunaga Magoroku.
Upon reaching the city gate, they were surprised to find that there were two flagpoles on either side of the entrance, each with a round object hanging from it.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be two human heads!
And one of them looks kind of familiar...
Shinzaburo Kubo then asked the guards what was going on.
When he first arrived in Yagi Castle, he had to keep a low profile. But now his status is different. He is a samurai, riding a horse, wearing wufu (traditional Japanese clothing), and carrying a tachi (a type of Japanese sword). Naturally, he is neither humble nor arrogant in front of the guards.
The guards at the door probably didn't recognize who it was either, but they wisely maintained a respectful attitude and introduced him, saying, "Are you aware of the incident where several people stole funds from the vault and fled?"
Shinzaburo Kubo nodded and said, "I already know that."
The guard continued, "After further investigation, it was found that Hosono Hayato and Hattori Sake Brewer, who were in charge of guarding the treasury, had neglected their duties and were severely punished. As a result, the two were dissatisfied and also wanted to abscond with the money, but they happened to run into Lord Nagayori on his personal inspection and were killed by the lord himself. Their heads were displayed at the city gate."
It turns out to be the round-faced samurai, Hayato Hosono. No wonder he looked familiar.
He was actually killed by Matsunaga Nagayori himself... I wonder what the scene was like at the time.
At this moment, Shimizumura Otsuna Hachiroza, who was following behind Kubo Shinzaburo, was probably startled and muttered to himself, "Lord Nagayori is serious, unlike the Naito family before!"
His voice trembled slightly.
The guard politely said to Shinzaburo Kubo, "I am actually a member of the Miyoshi family. I came here temporarily to provide support, so I don't recognize your identity. Please let me know so I can ask someone to verify it."
At this moment, Kubo Shinzaburo remembered that Matsunaga Nagayori had previously borrowed 500 full-time soldiers from the Miyoshi family to "garrison" Yagi Castle, which was the most powerful guarantee for promoting reforms.
Because of this, people couldn't distinguish the guests' social status and treated everyone with politeness.
……
After announcing their identities and confirming their identities, Kubo Shinzaburo led Otina Hachiroza from Shimizu Village to Matsunaga Magoroku's residence in Ninomaru.
There was a guard standing at the entrance.
Hachiro was subjected to a strict inspection, and after being confirmed to be unarmed, he was given a few warnings before being allowed to pass.
Shinzaburo Kubo, on the other hand, entered the room with his katana worn on his back.
Hachiro watched this with envy on his face.
Upon meeting, Matsunaga Sonroku, sitting on the tatami mat, was initially delighted, laughing loudly, "Thanks to Shinzaburo's help, the mission went very smoothly." Then his smile froze, and pointing at Hachiro, he asked with displeasure, "Why did you bring this person to the city?"
Kubo Shinzaburo bowed and said, "Actually, regarding the current mission, this Otona Hachiroza from Shimizu Village has something to report."
Matsunaga Sunroku frowned upon hearing this and said, "But I have already decided on this matter... cough... I have already made a decision."
Hachiro immediately knelt on the ground, fawningly saying, "This humble one is able to..."
He had only uttered a few words when Matsunaga Sonroku rolled his eyes impatiently and snapped, "When did it become your turn to speak?"
Hachiro looked aggrieved and dared not speak again, glancing sideways at Shinzaburo Kubo for help.
So Kubo Shinzaburo stepped forward, whispered a few words in Matsunaga Magoro's ear.
After listening, Matsunaga Sunroku pondered for a while with a blank expression, his eyes darting around without uttering a word.
Hachirozusa remained uneasy, his forehead covered in sweat.
Seeing this, Shinzaburo Kubo whispered a few more words in his ear.
Matsunaga Sunroku nodded, revealing a obviously fake smile. He lazily got up, walked over, patted Hachiroza on the shoulder, and said, "Since you're willing to serve, I can give you a chance. If you can help me take down the private casinos under my jurisdiction, I can give you a samurai status, which I might consider."
Otsuna Hachiro from Shimizu Village finally breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly kowtowed several times, shouting some nonsense about being loyal and serving her.
Matsunaga Sunroku frowned and waved his hand, saying, "No need for further explanation, let's talk about this casino first!"
Hachiro quickly replied "Yes," then paused for a moment before recounting the situation in detail.
……
It turns out that this illegal casino was actually located in a nearby temple called "Jile Temple".
This temple is located in the mountains about two kilometers east of Qingshui Village. It is not well-known and is not a powerful temple like Guangfu Temple with the privilege of "neither accepting nor receiving" gifts. Therefore, it has no shops or land under its name and theoretically relies entirely on alms to survive, so its situation is very bleak.
How dismal was it?
There was only one small courtyard, with only one monk's cell in the courtyard, and only one monk in the cell.
The monk's Dharma name was "Jingcheng." He was a very approachable fellow and quite popular. Outsiders assumed that he lived off the donations from the nearby residents.
Unexpectedly, this monk had secretly opened a gambling den and had been operating it for several years!
According to Shimizu Village's Otsuna Hachiro, although the monk had no power or influence, he at least had a monk's certificate issued by Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara. He also appeared to be burly and strong, and was usually very fair in his dealings with farmers, so everyone trusted him to some extent.
Moreover, this monk was quite cunning.
The gambling at Jile Temple is not open every day, but only on the 3rd, 13th and 23rd of each month.
There weren't many gamblers nearby, so this arrangement took into account both safety and made it easier for everyone to gather.
Furthermore, this monk, whose Dharma name was "Jingcheng," had a particularly good relationship with many widows in the neighborhood. Whenever there was any disturbance, a widow would inform him.
Therefore, the casino has remained hidden and has not been noticed by outsiders.
After hearing these words, Matsunaga Sonroku was puzzled and muttered to himself, "The temple is called 'Gokuraku-ji,' so it should be either a Jodo or Shingon sect temple. But the monk has a monastic certificate issued by Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara, so he must be a Hossō sect monk. As for the Dharma name 'Jōchō,' it's in the style of Tendai and Nichiren. How strange!"
Shinzaburo Kubo advised, "Since it's just a small temple or shrine that doesn't have the 'no loss, no gain' privilege, why bother with any sect?"
Matsunaga Sunroku nodded and said, "That's right!" Then he turned to look at Hachiro and said, "Listen carefully, go back immediately and tell that monk 'Jingcheng' who set up the gambling den that you were forced by me and spent a lot of money to get away. You are really frustrated and want to play a big game to vent your anger. Tell that monk to bring as many people as possible!"
Hachiro quickly bowed and said, "Yes, sir," but then worriedly added, "But around the Paradise Temple, there are always many widows helping to keep watch, so it might be difficult to catch all the gamblers in one fell swoop..."
“Well…” Matsunaga Magoro then looked at Kubo Shinzaburo, bowed slightly, and asked, “Do you have any ideas?”
Kubo Shinzaburo smiled and said, "I remember that Kofuku-ji Temple has more than a dozen branch temples, including a nunnery. Why don't we ask Master Mingzhou to give the order to hold a special prayer ceremony there to bless the widow..."
036 Catch them all in one fell swoop
In the southwestern suburbs of Tanba Province, hidden by layers of mountains and forests, at the entrance of the secluded "Gokuraku-ji" temple, a portly monk with the Dharma name "Jōchō" suddenly felt uneasy.
Today is February 13th, which, as is customary, is one of the three open days he holds each month for his private casino.
In the past, widows from the nearby villages would gather together on their own, occupying the main roads in all directions, to keep watch, unless they had nothing else to do.
Monk Jingcheng knew full well that such private gambling was forbidden by both the samurai lord of Yagi Castle and the high priest of Kofuku-ji Temple. He had to be extremely careful and avoid being discovered.
Unfortunately, the nuns at the Yushu Nunnery to the south suddenly announced that they would be holding a blessing ceremony specifically for the widows in the neighborhood.
This Yushu Nunnery is a nunnery under the jurisdiction of Guangfu Temple.
Guangfu Temple has gained a great reputation this year for helping more than a dozen villages pay their spring harvest and other expenses in advance.
So when Yushu Temple announced it was going to hold a ceremony, the widows all went together.
There is no one on guard duty today.
However, Monk Jingcheng did not want to temporarily close the casino.
Because a few days ago, Otsuna Hachiro from Shimizu Village said that he had recently encountered bad luck and lost a lot of money to avoid disaster. He was in a bad mood and wanted to have a big party to vent his frustration.
The area around "Gokurakuji" is mostly ordinary villages, and most of the people don't have extra money to squander. There are only about twenty gamblers, among whom Otoya Hachiro from Shimizu Village is one of the core customers.
How could I refuse such an important guest's request?
If you anger them, they might stop patronizing Gokurakuji Temple and instead choose to travel a long way to the gambling dens in front of Kofukuji Temple, which would be troublesome.
After much thought, Monk Jingcheng could only sigh, pat his round belly, and pray for good luck.
I wonder if that exquisitely forged Nara Kofukuji monk's certificate can actually win the protection of the gods and Buddhas?
……
The guests arrived very enthusiastically.
After all, they are all addicted people.
In mid-February, although temperatures had risen significantly, it was still very cold before the sun came out.
But by early morning, seven or eight gamblers had already arrived at the Temple of Bliss, divided into two groups.
Judging from the journey, some of them probably set off before dawn and traveled over mountains and valleys under the stars and moon.
They are truly full of energy.
There wasn't much to eat here at the monk Jingcheng's place, only some pickled radishes obtained from nearby farmers, which could be shared with the guests.
Then there's the clear water drawn from the mountain spring.
Fortunately, the gamblers weren't particular about food and drink. They sat on the straw mats under the eaves, eating pickled radishes and drinking spring water, discussing current events while waiting for everyone to arrive.
Everyone complained that after the Naito family of Yagi Castle took over with a son-in-law from outside the family, they insisted on implementing a "deputy official system," and the "Matsunaga Magoroku" they sent was very troublesome. He said he was investigating some kind of highway robbers, which caused a lot of chaos and made everyone miserable.
Then someone started cursing Shinzaburo from Kubomura. He was clearly the son of Kinbei, and should have been on the same side as the "local worthy" and used his connection with Kofukuji Temple to deal with the magistrate. Instead, that kid was bribed by mere samurai status and helped that scoundrel magistrate cause trouble; he was truly despicable.
However, some people countered, "This year, Guangfu Temple saw that the winter was tough and helped many villages pay for their spring planting and other expenses, and they didn't charge interest for the first year. This must have been something Shinsaburo had to ask for. It shows that he is still good to the villagers. As for working for the magistrate, that's his duty, he had no choice."
Another person sighed, "How come back then, Brother Kinbei was able to curry favor with the previous abbot of Kōfuku-ji Temple, and now Brother Shinzaburo is able to curry favor with the new abbot of Kōfuku-ji Temple? Their family is truly blessed!"
The first person said, "I heard that Shinzaburo was appeared in a dream by the Immovable Myo-o..."
At this moment, a young man joked, "Master Jingcheng! Guangfu Temple is a temple, and your Jile Temple is a temple, so why is the other one so prestigious?"
The monk Jingcheng maintained his amiable smile, but his words were sharp: "Kubo Shinzaburo is Otsuna's son, and you are also Otsuna's son, so how come he became a samurai?"
The gamblers and the monks laughed and joked for a while, gradually gathering a dozen or so people.
In particular, Otsuna Hachiro from Shimizu Village came over in a menacing manner, saying as soon as he entered that he had to play something big to vent his emotions, and that he wanted to set up a table that cost fifty mon per round.
Although everyone was a gambler, they weren't entirely irrational. They all said that this was too much, and suggested that the gambler play backgammon one-on-one against the dealer while they watched from the sidelines.
Hachiro frowned and said he had been playing backgammon since he was a child and was already tired of it. He preferred the latest trend of dice-throwing and guessing games like "Ding Ban" or "Da Xiao Mu," which were more fun with more people.
Everyone else shook their heads, saying that fifty coins was impossible.
After a heated discussion filled with grumbling, they finally decided to play a dice game with a stake of five coins per round.
The specific rules are as follows: Monk Jingcheng acts as the dealer, rolling three concealed dice. The other players guess the final sum of the numbers, betting on either "big" or "small," or "odd and even." If all three dice show the same number, the dealer wins all.
After agreeing on their plan, a dozen gamblers gathered together, ignoring the cold, and sat on the floor of the temple's main hall. They took out their money and began a fierce battle.