The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 55

Mori Motonari immediately nodded: "Therefore, the way of survival of the samurai families in the western country is probably somewhat different from that in the Kinai and Kanto regions."

Shinzaburo couldn't go into too much detail about this topic, so he echoed the sentiment, saying, "For the Western Kingdom, perhaps strategy is better than a direct attack, and the navy is better than the infantry. And the strategy of the navy is undoubtedly of paramount importance."

Mori Motonari feigned amazement and praised, "Lord Kubo Genban is truly brilliant! This instruction has greatly benefited me."

……

Around 11:30 AM, Mori Takamoto suddenly rushed into the "secluded residence" of Yoshida-Koriyama Castle. Ignoring Shinzaburo's presence, he shouted from afar, "Father, the situation is urgent! Two days ago, Sue Haruka led a large army across the sea to Itsukushima and besieged our Miyao Castle! The naval forces of Yashiro Island, Jinho Island, and Uwa Island have also joined the battle!"

Although the relationship between the Mori and Ōuchi families was somewhat delicate, Mori Takamoto and Ōuchi Yoshitaka had a particularly close personal relationship, almost like uncle and nephew. Therefore, after Tao Qingxian killed Ōuchi Yoshitaka and seized real power in the Ōuchi family, he was deeply hated by Mori Takamoto, who addressed him by his given name instead of his official title.

Shinzaburo was stunned for a moment before realizing that the timing of his mission to the Western Country was quite coincidental, seemingly coinciding with the Battle of Itsukushima!

This island is a vital transportation hub in the western Seto Inland Sea and currently the Mori family's largest "money bag." Its importance is self-evident.

Compared to Mori Takamoto's nervous excitement, Mori Moto only smiled faintly upon hearing the news and muttered, "It's just the right time." He then immediately ordered, "The Reikichi army shall immediately set off to occupy the strategic point of Shichiku Pass. The Kobayakawa army shall take the sea route to Kusatsu Port to set up defenses. Mobilize the Mori clan soldiers to assemble with you and me at Sato Ginzan Castle!"

His composed and decisive demeanor is truly inspiring.

Mori Takamoto quickly calmed down and leaned forward to ask, "Isn't there a need to directly rescue Miyao Castle?"

Mori Motonari said decisively, "Miyao Castle can definitely be held for more than ten days."

Mori Takamoto then said, "Shouldn't we inform the local people of Aki and Bingo?"

Mori Motonari waved his sleeve and said, "Facing the Ouchi army, the local lords are currently only a burden, not an aid. In this battle, apart from my own men, only Kikkawa and Kobayakawa are trustworthy!"

Shinzaburo, sitting nearby, lost his initial excitement upon hearing this and began to feel somewhat embarrassed.

Is it appropriate for you two, father and son, to discuss important military arrangements in front of me, an outsider?

Before they could reveal anything particularly confidential, Shinzaburo quickly coughed and said seriously, "Since the Mori clan is facing war, it is inconvenient for me to disturb them. I shall return to the Kinai region now!"

Mori Motonari shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's too late! Just as my son said, the various naval forces under the Ōuchi family have been conscripted to fight, and the sea routes are already in turmoil."

Shinzaburo was a little puzzled: "Where are the enemies of the Mori family? They wouldn't attack me, would they?"

Mori Motonari said meaningfully, "The enemy general is a ruthless man who murdered his lord! Moreover, the news that Lord Kubo Genban has come to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle as an 'envoy from the capital' is already widely known in the western provinces."

Shinzaburo felt a little strange: "How did this matter become so widely known? Is the Western Country so lacking in novelty?"

"In short..." Mori Motonari avoided answering, paused for a moment, and then lowered his voice to say, "In short... Lord Kubo Genban and your entourage should stay by my side until the war is over. Only in this way can we ensure that nothing goes wrong."

These words made Shinzaburo feel uneasy.

What does this mean? It doesn't sound like protection, it sounds more like... house arrest?

Mori Takamoto seemed a little confused as well, frowning and looking bewildered. He stepped forward and said, "Father, is there really no need to be so... cautious?"

After a brief silence, Mori Motonari sighed and whispered a few words to his son.

Upon hearing this, Mori Takamoto looked shocked. He hesitated for a moment before walking up to Shinzaburo with a pained expression, kneeling down and bowing deeply. He said in a very troubled tone, "At this moment, I believe I must tell the truth. I am very sorry! My father believes that Lord Kubo Genban has seen through too many of the Mori clan's strengths and weaknesses these past few days. If we leave now, and are unfortunately captured by the Ouchi army, it will lead to a terrible situation. Therefore... I can only ask that you condescend to stay for a few more days!"

This is so strange...

What truth have I seen through? Besides chatting and joking with you guys these past two days, have I done anything that would attract attention?

Shinzaburo stared in disbelief for a moment, then said helplessly to Mori Takamoto, "Am I really that important?"

Mori Takamoto remained kneeling on the ground, bowed twice more, and said sincerely, "I don't quite understand either. But the Mori family has survived to this day precisely because of my father's extreme caution. So today, we can only remain cautious as well! Please rest assured, after the war is over, I will personally escort Lord Kubo Genban on his return journey."

Although Shinzaburo was still annoyed by the other party's humble attitude, he couldn't vent his anger and could only accept reality.

Then, glancing sideways at the silent Mori Motonari, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and subconsciously asked, "The so-called strength and weakness of the Mori clan, is it that 'the deployment of the navy is of paramount importance'?"

“…Exactly.” Mori Motonari said quietly, “Although I don’t know how Lord Kubo Genban understood this, if this gets to Tao Weishu’s ears, the situation will be unpredictable.”

Tao Weizhou refers to Tao Qingxian. He came from a noble family and was a properly appointed official of the fifth rank, Owari Province Governor.

Unlike Mori Takamoto, Mori Motonari did not hate Tao Qingxian as much, so he addressed him by his official title.

Shinzaburo then realized that he had been making wild claims based on some impressions from his previous life, which had led to the misunderstanding.

I'm speechless.

Shinzaburo sighed, "If the Mori clan uses force to prevent me from leaving, I will have no choice but to comply."

Mori Takamoto knelt on the ground and said, "How dare I! I have no courage to use force against the envoy from above, but since my father has already given instructions, I can only ask Lord Kubo Genban to stay for a few more days!"

Shinzaburo felt both amused and exasperated.

Takamoto Mori maintained a respectful dogeza posture throughout, using his actions to express his attitude.

After a long pause, Shinzaburo realized what was happening and asked, "You just said that my visit to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle is widely known in the western country. Could it be the result of deliberate propaganda?"

Mori Takamoto bowed down once more, without giving a yes or no answer, only repeatedly saying, "I'm so sorry!"

Shinzaburo thought to himself, "You keep doing the dogeza (a deep bowing gesture) so much that it makes it hard for me to get angry. It's so frustrating."

104. Yuan Jiu, who remained inactive.

I don't know if Motoi Mori's high IQ caused his thinking to be different from ordinary people, but his ideas were really unique. He actually thought that Shinzaburo's departure would lead to the exposure of his secret plan.

Shinzaburo then stayed with Mori and his son, surrounded by people, and couldn't leave at all.

The six attendants he brought were also treated as VIPs, but they were oblivious to the fact that they were having such a good time that they forgot all about home.

Mori Takamoto did not use force, but ordered his servants to block the path with their bodies in a dogeza posture whenever the "envoy from above" showed any intention of leaving the guard area, begging them not to leave.

I've heard in my past life that kneeling and kowtowing can sometimes constitute a form of "Japanese bullying."

Now I understand why.

However, aside from restricting his freedom, Mori Takamoto did his best to befriend him in other aspects, even to the point of being obsequious, sincerely admitting his mistakes and accepting all the scolding.

Although it was just a deliberate gesture, this guy acted very sincerely, making people unconsciously trust him.

Logically speaking, the father and son were playing good cop and bad cop. However, Shinzaburo subconsciously harbored more resentment towards Motonari Mori, while feeling that Motonari Takamoto was somewhat "understandable."

After all, sympathizing with honest people is a common and simple emotion.

In the past few days, Takamoto Mori has acted like the ultimate "honest person" who, while not particularly talented, has worked tirelessly to mediate conflicts and exhaust his emotions and energy to resolve group disputes.

Or perhaps he was faking it all along.

However, for a young master—or more precisely, now nominally the heir to the family headship—to disregard personal dignity and go to such lengths is quite remarkable, even if it's just an act.

Shinzaburo soon began to understand why the unruly Yoshikawa Motoharu dared to challenge his father's authority, yet was so obedient to his elder brother.

Mori Motonari would often have bizarre ideas and do things that seemed inexplicable to ordinary people when faced with "envoys from the capital" sent by Hosokawa Ujitsuna, the shogunate's regent. It's easy to imagine that his interactions with his retainers were probably not very pleasant.

……

Regardless of the circumstances, since Shinzaburo was now unable to leave, he had no choice but to stay with Mori Motonari and Mori Takamoto and come together to the front-line command center of Sato Ginzan Castle.

On the bright side, it offers the opportunity to observe the military command of the "God of War of the West" up close and see how the famous Battle of Itsukushima unfolded.

However, this is on the premise that you can keep up with the line of thought.

Mori Motonari was indeed a genius general.

His son, Takamoto Mori, always needed to spend a long time comparing a military map based on a "Gyōki-tō" (a type of map) to understand the situation.

Motonari Mori, on the other hand, sat alone in a corner with his back to the map, deep in thought. Occasionally, he would suddenly utter a brief command.

For example: "The Yoshikawa team should be approaching Shichiku-gao soon. Send a messenger to tell them to be on guard for three days. After that, leave only one hundred men and send the main force to Kusatsu Castle to join the navy."

Or: "Find the fastest sailor and ask the Kobayakawa navy if they encountered any enemy ships harassing them when passing through Kashima and Katsurahama. Do it as soon as possible!"

But the reason for doing so is not explained.

Let alone Shinzaburo, an outsider, not understanding, even the senior retainers of the Mori family, when they occasionally came to the central command tent, would only speak to Mori Takamoto and would not disturb Mori Motonari's personal world at all.

If he were just a strategist or chief of staff, it wouldn't matter.

As the head of the family, this appearance is rather strange.

Fortunately, Mori Takamoto was a diligent and conscientious person who personally handled all the administrative affairs. By observing his work process, one could clearly understand the Mori clan's military situation.

This battle was against the Ōuchi clan, which was controlled by Tao Qingxian. From the beginning, Mori Motonari believed that the local lords in Aki and Bingo were not trustworthy under such circumstances, and did not issue a conscription order.

The only "external" forces used were Yoshikawa and Kobayakawa, the forces that his second and third sons forcibly inherited, and who had already been "possessed".

According to the "arrival certificate" issued by Mori Takamoto, the Yoshikawa family mobilized 1,200 people, while the Kobayakawa family mobilized 900 people and 60 ships.

The Mōri clan's direct armed forces consisted of 170 retainers and 1,100 armored "Ayutsu-shu" as their core, along with 1,800 peasant soldiers known as "Sōtō-shu," "Naka-gun-shu," and "Kami-ryō-shu," as well as more than 70 ships.

The armor coverage rate is quite high. At least higher than that of the Tanba army.

The so-called "Youzuzhong" did not have a surname and were not considered warriors. However, they were exempt from taxes and corvée labor, and received additional allowances for military expeditions. They could focus on martial arts training and equipment maintenance in their spare time, making them almost like full-time professional soldiers.

It seems that the Mori family deliberately used the commercial revenue from the port town to maintain a group of elite troops, which is similar to the Oda clan in the eastern country.

Including the two Sichuan provinces, the total number of people mobilized was 5,300, plus 130 ships.

The Mori clan had already occupied Aki and Bingo provinces, which, by modern standards, amounted to 400,000 koku of land. However, in critical moments, they lacked a large number of troops they could trust, and their control over the country was indeed somewhat lacking.

As for the Ōuchi army led by Tao Qingxian, there is still no conclusion, and rumors are flying everywhere, with some even saying that 50,000 troops attacked Itsukushima.

Mori Takamoto didn't even need to stand up and refute it; Mori Takamoto already knew it was unreliable: "The Ōuchi clan's total strength is only thirty to forty thousand. At present, northern Kyushu is in turmoil and needs to be guarded. The enemy that is invading this time cannot exceed twenty thousand. Furthermore, since it will be difficult to transport supplies for a cross-sea attack, the number of people landing on Itsukushima will be at most ten thousand."

The number of infantrymen is difficult to estimate. What is relatively certain is that the Imperial Navy had about 350 ships. After Tao Qingxian was sent to Itsukushima, these ships maintained vigilance in the strait.

Although the number may not sound alarming, it is still a behemoth compared to the Mori family.

Actually, Tao Qingxian was also to blame for the "turmoil in northern Kyushu".

He rebelled and killed Yoshitaka Ōuchi, which led to the downfall of Ryūzōji Takanobu, who was close to Ōuchi.

Ryūzōji Takanobu, known as the "Bear of Hizen," was an exceptionally capable but unpopular general. He had previously relied on the reputation of Ōuchi Yoshitaka to suppress his subordinates, but now, without his protection, he was deserted and forced to flee. Ryūzōji Takanobu then submitted to Ōtomo Yoshishige, using the Ōtomo clan's power to launch a counterattack.

This greatly undermined the authority of the Ōuchi family in northern Kyushu.

……

Because it takes time for messages to travel, by the time Mori Motonari and Mori Takamoto arrived at the front lines to set up their formation, Tao Qingxian had already been besieging the area for four days.

For the past four days, "Miyao Castle," with only three hundred soldiers guarding it, has been under tremendous pressure, but fortunately, there are no signs of it falling yet.

But simply observing like this is definitely not an option.

The question is, how do we play it?

Because Tao Qingxian divided his forces into two groups, one attacking the island and the other remaining on the coast, the Maori army was capable of fighting on land. The problem lay in the significant disparity in the number of ships, making it difficult to prevent the enemy from using water transport for maneuver.

If we engage in battle rashly, the enemy will definitely send out special forces to circle around to the rear by boat and then land on the shore to launch a pincer attack. Or they might simply go directly to the core area of ​​the Mori clan and burn it, which would be very troublesome.

It's also impossible to send troops directly across the sea to Itsukushima to support the defenders of Miyao Castle. If they were ambushed by the enemy navy halfway there, it would be a huge problem.

Following Mori Motonari's instructions, Mori Takamoto positioned his troops ten kilometers away from the enemy's positions, keeping them ready to launch an attack at any time.

But after that, no further orders were received.

Tao Qingxian arrived at the coast with his troops around September 21, and early on the 22nd, he took a ship to Itsukushima and attacked Miyao Castle.

The news reached Yoshida-Koriyama Castle on the morning of the 23rd.

The Mori clan immediately mobilized, and the main force assembled at Sato Ginzan Castle on September 24th and arrived at the front line on the evening of the 25th. It was obviously impossible for them to take any action that day.

However, the next day, Mori Motonari still ordered both the army and navy to remain in place and await further orders.

On September 26th, from morning till night, all the retainers were eager to try their skills, but Mori Motonari only said one sentence: "Anyone who goes out into battle without authorization will be beheaded, expelled from the clan, and have their family stipends confiscated."

Mori Takamoto spent a lot of effort persuading the generals to calm down.

On the 27th, a young priest from Itsukushima Shrine, using his religious status, obtained permission from Tao Qingxian to leave Itsukushima. This man then immediately went to the Mori army and provided intelligence.

The priest said that early that morning, part of the moat of Miyao Castle had been filled in, and then the outer perimeter immediately fell. Now the defenders are huddled in a small, twenty-step-wide area of ​​the main castle, desperately resisting with their bare flesh and blood.

Upon hearing this news, the Mori clan's soldiers became even more restless.

However, Mori Motonari still forbade him to go into battle.

Another day wasted.

At dawn on September 28, a daring young man with excellent swimming skills dived into the cold seawater and swam two kilometers across the strait right under the noses of the enemy ships. He took a close look at the battle situation and then secretly swam back.

According to the young man's description, Miyao Castle seems to be on the verge of falling.

At noon, Yoshikawa Motoharu rushed into the central command tent and said, "Please order the attack! I would rather die by the sword than watch my allies be annihilated!"

At that moment, Mori Takamoto happened to need to relieve himself and went to do so. Mori was whispering something to Kobayakawa Takakage without offering any explanation and waved Yoshikawa Motoharu away.

Yoshikawa Motoharu probably didn't dare to vent his anger on his father directly, so he roared at Kobayakawa Takakage: "If you're still a man, come and volunteer to fight!"

Kobayakawa Takakage pretended to be deaf and didn't hear what he said.

Fortunately, Mori Takamoto rushed back with his clothes on, and after a few words, Yoshikawa Motoharu managed to suppress his anger and leave.