The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 71

The eyes of the Ikeda father and son immediately turned to them.

Shinzaburo dismissed all irrelevant people before carefully explaining, "Araki Juro made great contributions during the campaign against the Utsu clan by serving as an envoy to the Kawakatsu clan. We should recommend him to become a direct retainer of the Miyoshi clan to reward his merits."

Upon hearing this, Ikeda Nagamasa immediately felt the weight of the words and fell into deep thought.

Katsumasa Ikeda, however, was a little reluctant: "It doesn't necessarily have to be like this. He could be appointed to an important position in the household, or perhaps given an extra salary or something. Without him, I can't handle those old retainers."

Shinzaburo maintained his smile, holding up one finger, his expression relaxed but his tone firm: "First, even if you can't handle it, you must patiently try. If you can't do it, even if it's Lord Miyoshi Chikuzen's order, I will oppose this marriage."

Katsumasa Ikeda seemed to genuinely regard Shinzaburo as an older brother. Hearing these stern words, he was still somewhat unconvinced, but he lowered his head and did not refute them, only taking a small sip of his sake in silence.

By this time, Ikeda Nagamasa was quite drunk. He slapped his thigh hard and sighed, "I just don't have the guts to say such a thing! I should have told this kid long ago that if he doesn't treat the old retainers of the family well, he should be deposed as heir!"

Katsumasa Ikeda's eyes widened in disbelief, and he didn't even realize that the wine glass in his hand had fallen to the ground.

Shinzaburo observed their reactions, then raised a second finger and continued the previous topic: "Araki Jujuro is a man of lofty ambitions and boundless aspirations. Lord Miyoshi Chikuzen may be able to command him, but I have no confidence in my ability to manage him. The Ikeda family will not tolerate him either."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ikeda Nagamasa immediately sobered up, his drunkenness vanished, and after a moment's thought, he solemnly said, "That's very true! I will recommend him to Lord Miyoshi Chikuzen as soon as I get home!"

Katsumasa Ikeda was speechless for a long time.

He probably understood the reasoning, but he was just unwilling to accept it emotionally.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the banquet, Jinbingwei's father, with a proud expression, muttered something like "Thank you, Fudo Myo-o."

Shingoro, the younger brother, took a sip of sake, mimicking the adults, and muttered to himself, "Brother, you're so handsome... When will I be able to have such a demeanor?"

After a long while, Ikeda Katsumasa did not pick up the wine cup that had fallen to the floor. Instead, he picked up the large wine jug with both hands, took a big gulp, let out a long sigh, and said sullenly, "Lord Kubo Genban is right! When Araki Jujuro visited the Kawakatsu family, he used such an extreme method as smashing the enemy's envoy to gain merit, which shows that he is a gambler by nature. It is impossible to expect him to always be by my side to help with some small favors."

133 Kubo has also split up his business.

Shinzaburo carefully wrote a letter detailing Araki Murashige's contributions in this battle and highly praising his talent. He then had Ikeda Nagamasa take him to see Miyoshi Nagayoshi.

Soon, news arrived that Miyoshi Nagayoshi indeed valued the letter highly. He immediately summoned Araki Murashige, interrogated him, and then dispatched him to Izumi Province to assist Sogawa Kazutsugu in dealing with the Matsuura clan's internal strife that had been ongoing for several months.

It can be said that everyone is happy.

In Izumi Province, the turmoil caused by the Matsuura family's succession dispute has lasted for more than half a year and has not yet been completely quelled. The northern border town area is relatively stable, but the southern border area with Kii Province remains unsettled.

This demonstrates that the situation is far more complex than imagined, and there may be someone else behind it all. The longer the war drags on, the more lives will be lost, and it might even lead to the complete erasure of names from the genealogies of several families. As these forces perish, the power and land they vacate will urgently need to be taken over.

For Araki Murashige, this was both a dangerous job and a rare opportunity. Given his personality and ambition, he would surely be full of enthusiasm.

This resolved the biggest hidden danger facing the Ikeda family in history.

So, Ah Li's sister's marriage can finally be settled.

Although Katsumasa Ikeda is straightforward and impulsive, he is not stupid. If things can be gradually changed and there are no ambitious people around him causing trouble, it should prevent internal strife.

However, there was no time to rest afterward. Shingoro's younger brother's marriage also attracted attention from all sides.

The involvement of Miyoshi Nagayoshi goes without saying; the old man himself helped Kawakatsu Hirotsugu act as matchmaker, which shows how much influence he had.

Meanwhile, Matsunaga Nagayori, after several months of intermittent fighting, finally reached a verbal agreement with Akai Naomasa.

Shinzaburo recalled his previous predictions about the situation, which now seemed to be almost exactly as they had appeared.

The Akai family was able to retain their territories in the southern part of Hikami and Amada districts. In exchange, they had to abandon their alliance with the Hatano family and promise not to provide any further support.

It's equivalent to exchanging half a county's territory for beloved relatives and friends.

Originally, Matsunaga Nagayori controlled Funai District, while his nephew Matsunaga Magoroku guarded the eastern part of Taki District, and Kuwata District's southern part was taken over by Kubo Yoshiaki. These were all directly controlled by the Miyoshi regime. Previously, the powerful clans of Amada District, Yakushige Shigetsuna and Kirimura Motonatsune, and the powerful clan of Koro District, Shiomi Yorikatsu, had already been subdued through Hosokawa Ujitsuna, and now Kawakatsu Hirotsugu of Kuwata District had also been subdued.

After reaching a peace agreement with Akai Naomasa, the focus can then be on eliminating the Hatano family, who are stubbornly resisting in western Taki District. Given the current situation, it seems that forcing other minor clans to surrender should also be feasible.

The situation in Tanba seems to be very promising, and the long-awaited "tranquility" seems to be on the horizon.

After Matsunaga Nagayori returned to Yagi Castle, he attached great importance to Kawakatsu Hirotsugu, who had just submitted to the Miyoshi government. After all, as the "acting head of the Naito family, the guardian deity," he naturally lacked legal standing, while the other held the noble title of "serving the public of the shogunate."

With Matsunaga Nagayori's encouragement, the marriage of the young lord of the Kawakatsu family to a daughter of a member of the Miyoshi family was quickly settled, and the engagement of Kawakatsu Hirotsugu's youngest daughter to the Kubo family was also put on the agenda.

In light of the current situation, Matsunaga Nagayori proposed to Shinsaburo that Shingoro should come of age as soon as possible, and that Kawakatsu Hirotsugu should become his eboshi kin (official son of a noble family), thus binding them together. Furthermore, after coming of age, he should not move to Kuwata District, but instead remain to assume the position of Noguchi village magistrate.

This is essentially the Kubo family, which has only been around for three years, setting up another branch.

If this is done, then Shinzaburo, as Hosokawa Kanrei's "inner retainer," would theoretically be on par with Matsunaga Nagayori, but would only obey orders from a position similar to "powerful."

Shingoro, on the other hand, served as a direct retainer of Matsunaga Nagayori.

There is no longer a direct relationship between the brothers.

However, we should definitely help each other when something really happens.

After pondering for a moment, Shinzaburo felt that Matsunaga Nagayori's suggestion was not unreasonable and would be extremely beneficial to Shingoro's development. After all, he only had one younger brother, so naturally he wanted to train him as early as possible, so that he could gain a foothold in this chaotic world and make a name for himself.

The only requirement was that he bring out a dozen or twenty people from Kubo Village to stay by his side and serve him.

The village hasn't yet discovered any noteworthy talents; its only advantage is its impeccable family background and reliable lineage. However, this is also a very important element.

Shinzaburo already had a plan in mind. He intended to arrange marriages between these villagers and local wealthy farmers after the group arrived in Kuwata County, so that they could have a second generation as soon as possible.

At the same time, their status will be elevated to that of samurai. As for their surnames, they can choose those themselves. It would be best to use a place name from Kuwata County, as this would make it easier to blend into the environment and gain the support of the local people.

Especially for his relatives Kumataro and Hashibei, who had already been given the surname Kubo, Shinzaburo strongly encouraged them to take several fertile farm girls as concubines, so as to expand the family line and ensure its continued prosperity. After all, the growth of the family was still very important.

Shinzaburo even thought of his father, Kinbei.

Now, Kinbei's father is only in his early fifties. After receiving careful treatment from the disciple of the famous Kyoto physician, Naose Michizo, his health has improved considerably. Shinzaburo thinks that perhaps his father is still capable of giving him a few more younger brothers and sisters, such as "Shinrokuro" or "Shinshichiro".

Therefore, he also planned to find two personal maids for his father to take care of his daily life. If something were to happen by accident, he would be happy to see it happen.

Of course, besides relying on others, the most important thing is for the head of the family to set an example and obtain an heir as soon as possible.

Since marrying my wife a year and a half ago, I've been constantly busy with various matters and traveling, leaving me no time or opportunity for a sustained commitment to our family life. Barring unforeseen circumstances, I should be residing in Kuwata County for a while, finally giving me the chance to properly nurture my family and continue our family line.

We must not let this hard-won period of peace and tranquility go to waste.

……

One thing after another came crashing down on Shinzaburo like a tidal wave. As for the further development of the new territory, it now seemed like a long way off.

For now, we can only send retainers to patrol the territory, keep a close eye on the security situation, and collect taxes and provisions according to previous practices.

All other long-term plans were pushed off the agenda.

The wedding of Ari's sister and Ikeda Katsumasa required careful preparation, and the coming-of-age ceremony and engagement of Shingoro's brother also needed meticulous attention; no detail could be overlooked.

On the tenth day of the eighth month of the second year of the Hongzhi reign (1556), the autumn sky was clear and the air was crisp. Shingoro, who was actually only twelve years and six months old, celebrated his coming-of-age ceremony.

The plaza outside Noguchi Castle was bustling with activity as more than a hundred samurai, led by Matsunaga Nagayori, arrived as guests, dressed in various formal attire, making the scene solemn and dignified.

Shingoro's future father-in-law, Hirotsugu Kawakatsu, as a member of the Eboshi clan, solemnly bestowed upon him the title of "Hiro" and gave him the character "Hiro". Combined with the character "Akira" from Yoshiaki Kubo's name, Shingoro henceforth had the formal name "Hiroaki Kubo".

Immediately afterwards, Matsunaga Nagayori announced: "From now on, Kubo Hiroaki will be the new magistrate of Noguchi Township and the new garrison commander of Noguchi Castle. I hope he will be diligent in his duties and live up to your expectations."

Upon hearing this, Shingoro immediately knelt down and replied, "Guangming will certainly live up to Lord Pengyunxuan's expectations!"

Meanwhile, Shinzaburo was writing a document, officially appointing Shingoro's younger brother as the magistrate of Kubo Village and Gokurakuji territory. Kinbei's father immediately decided not to go to Kuwata District, but to stay and serve as Shingoro's advisor.

Kawakatsu Hirotsugu even brought his illegitimate daughter, named "Ajima," with him, intending to hold the wedding as soon as possible. As for consummating the marriage, that could wait until the time was right.

The other party was so proactive and enthusiastic that it was hard to refuse.

As a result, it is very likely that A-Li and Shingoro's weddings will take place one after the other.

Thinking of this, Shinzaburo, as the older brother, couldn't help but feel a lot of complicated emotions.

The newly formed Kubo family has gradually become a part of the chaotic Warring States period. Although they can only be considered insignificant minor characters on the fringes of the stage, they are still able to make their own faint voices heard.

All family members must get used to living like children of a samurai family.

Perhaps, one must also be prepared to die at any time, like a child of a samurai family.

134. How could our ancestors be such inconvenient things?

In between preparing for the two weddings, Shinzaburo also managed to sneak a trip to the "Tada Copper Mining Site".

I stopped by Kofuku-ji Temple on the way, hoping to visit Master Myoshu, but was told that the abbot was in Kyoto on business and would not be back for a while.

They had no choice but to give up.

Shinzaburo went to Tada to hand over his work.

In fact, he had no actual control over the mine since March, but the higher-ups were lenient and only sent someone to take over the work, without revoking Shinsaburo's title as magistrate.

In other words, for the past five months, he has been getting paid for nothing and hasn't done any work.

Let's consider this compensation for the work done in discovering the silver mine.

Today, nearly a year has passed since the first batch of silver was produced. During this time, in addition to the original 120 miners, the workforce has been continuously replenished through "ransom brokers," and a new batch of people has been gradually recruited to maintain sufficient production capacity.

Ultimately, the total revenue generated from the silver and copper mines during Shinzaburo's tenure amounted to 3,562 kan.

The total cost of mining and smelting, including site, tools, fuel, and auxiliary materials, was 1,674 kan; the total cost of manpower, including wages, rations and welfare of regular employees and prisoner-of-war compensation, was 665 kan; other expenses such as writing materials, paper, lamp oil, and candles amounted to 21 kan; 160 kan were donated to Hosokawa Ujitsuna for transport, and 480 kan were transferred to the Miyoshi Chōkei Army.

So Shinzaburo himself had about 560 kan left.

So, it turns out that the income from mining is not as high as imagined, unless production is increased several times over.

However, this requires intervention from a higher level of authority.

The person who officially took over Shinzaburo's job was a young man named Morita Kiyomoto. He came from Settsu Province and lived near Amagasaki. His ancestors were mid-level officials in the shogunate, and he had recently joined the Hosokawa Ujitsuna faction and was also recognized by Miyoshi Nagayoshi. Because he was good at arithmetic and had some knowledge of metallurgy, he was given the position of mining magistrate.

This kid is probably tasked with expanding production, but his reward likely won't be comparable to Shinzaburo's. After all, the difference in value between discovering a new silver vein and continuing to mine along the path of predecessors is significant.

Meanwhile, Hasegawa Munehito, who was introduced by Imai Munehisa, also lost his job.

The new magistrate has his own network of connections and is unlikely to agree to allow him to monopolize the profits from "fire loss".

If it were just about receiving a fixed salary and clocking in at work, Hasegawa Munehito wouldn't even consider it. After all, he came from a wealthy merchant family in Kyoto, and even though he was a collateral branch who couldn't inherit the family business, he had never lacked living expenses.

If they don't have the sense of accomplishment from building a career, they would rather immerse themselves in tea ceremony and calligraphy and painting, or simply travel the world to broaden their horizons.

Shinzaburo desperately wanted to retain this talented administrator, but struggled to find a suitable position. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he immediately extended an invitation: "I have been granted the former territory of the Utsu family in Kuwata District and am considering how to arrange my residence. Lord Munehito, would you be so kind as to deign to lend me this favor?"

Upon hearing this, Hasegawa Munehito frowned and said, "But I have been studying the mining industry and don't know much about construction."

Shinzaburo shook his head and smiled, saying, "To be honest, I don't have any other skilled castle builders at my disposal. Besides, it's precisely because I don't know much about it that the process of building something from scratch is so exciting, isn't it?"

Hasegawa Munehito was indeed intrigued by this and readily accepted.

As a member of a wealthy merchant family in Kyoto, he must have some experience in civil engineering. Since he has such a good grasp of mining technology, it shouldn't be a problem for him to study architecture with a little effort.

To build a brand-new residential city befitting one's status, from site selection and design to material preparation and personnel arrangement, it will take at least half a year to complete. During this time, one can gradually persuade others to give their services.

So, Shinzaburo and Hasegawa Munehito left Tada Copper Mine and returned to their new territory in Tanba-Kuwata District.

Just then, Imai Munehisa and Uozumi Hikoshiro came to visit.

Previously, the construction of the dikes for the planned water attack was largely thanks to the assistance of these two friends. In return, Shinzaburo promised to entrust them with all the commercial affairs of the new territory.

According to current information, under the Utsu family's rule in the past, the area near the mountains and forests within their territory was inhabited by a group of people known as "mountain laborers" who did not pay taxes but instead paid taxes in the form of timber. They paid about 16,000 "three-hundred-ton logs" each year, which, when sold in Kyoto or Sakai, would fetch between 450 and 700 kan depending on market conditions.

In addition, due to a unique local sweetfish, the profit margin of seafood is quite considerable. However, due to limitations in preservation and transportation, the trade volume is far smaller than that of timber, with most of the fish being consumed by locals. Previously, the Utsu family seemed to lack connections in the salted fish trade.

Judging from the surviving documents, the privileged merchant who used to monopolize these goods seemed to be named "Nishiyama Taroemon," who apparently died in the war alongside the Utsu family. His authority was thus rendered invalid.

Imai Munehisa has already established relationships with "banjōya" (traditional timber merchants) throughout the Kinai region, making it possible to conduct timber trade at any time. He has also reached a cooperation agreement with a "shioya" (salt shop) in Sakai, specializing in pickled goods, to prepare large quantities of ayu (sweetfish) for salting and selling.

The most routine grain trade is also indispensable. The unit price is not high, but the volume is large, allowing for a steady and long-term flow of income.

……

Two days later, I received another piece of good news.

Recently, Hosokawa Ujitsuna of Yodoko Castle personally consulted historical records and discovered that during the "Kyogoku Rebellion" decades ago, a boy named Yoshidojimaru from the prestigious Kyogoku family was caught in the chaos of war and went missing. At the same time, the Taga family, a prominent scribe of the Kyogoku family, was wiped out in the ensuing internal strife, and all family members fled.

Based on a series of "rigorous" deliberations and "meticulous" research, it was determined that the survivors of the Taga family protected Kyogoku Yoshidojimaru and took him to Tanba, where he lived under the protection of the Uehara family.

At that time, the Uehara family of Tanba was deeply trusted by "half-shogun" Hosokawa Masamoto, and replaced the Naito family, who had chosen the wrong side, as the deputy governor of Tanba Province, holding real power.

However, not long after, the Uehara family mismanaged their territory, which triggered the Kokujin Rebellion. Most of the clan members died violent deaths, while a few fled to Echizen and took refuge under the eaves of the Asakura family.

Then, Hosokawa Masamoto grew old and was unable to control his many adopted sons, so the Naito family's position as deputy governor was restored, and the Uehara faction was purged.

Kyogoku Yoshidojimaru and his retainer Taga did not flee with them. Instead, to avoid getting involved in the unpredictable struggles, they lived in seclusion in Noguchi Village, Funai District, making a living by farming under assumed names.

Now you should understand—

Hosokawa Ujitsuna meant that Shinzaburo was actually a descendant of the Kyogoku family who had been separated from the family!

What is the background of the Kyogoku family?

The history can be traced back to the Uda Genji clan. Six hundred years ago, Emperor Uda's eighth son was enfeoffed as Prince Atsumi. Prince Atsumi's third son was demoted to a commoner and named Minamoto no Masanobu. Masanobu's grandson, Shigeyori, was enfeoffed as the Sasaki-sho of Omi Province and used the Sasaki family name.

During the Nanboku-chō period, a famous "Basara daimyo" emerged, Sasaki Dōyō, a close comrade-in-arms of Ashikaga Takauji. Dōyō's son, Takahide, established his base at the "Kyogoku Residence" in Shijō, Kyoto, and thereafter changed his surname to Kyogoku.

During the Muromachi period, the Kyogoku family belonged to one of the four positions qualified to serve as "Samurai-sho-sho-shi" (侍所所司), and for generations they served as "Gosho-ban-shu" (御尚伴众), who served alongside the Shogun. At its peak, they controlled six provinces: Omi, Hida, Izumo, Oki, Yamashiro, and Iwami.