The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 114

Shinzaburo didn't expose him, but nodded slightly and said, "Now that we've already obtained the arrow money and issued the restraining order, it would be inappropriate to disturb them further."

The old monk Seijō was overjoyed, his eyes instantly filled with tears: "As expected, Lord Kubo Sado is still the most benevolent!"

But Shinzaburo then said quietly, "But if it is indeed confirmed that there are criminals hiding there, charging them extra money would be too lenient, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to send troops to search the temple."

The old monk Qingding was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook his head and changed his story, saying that he absolutely did not hide any criminals.

The other monks echoed this sentiment.

Shinzaburo thought for a moment, then said, "I am willing to trust you masters for now. But even so, the Yamana family's soldiers may not obey my commands, will they?"

The old monk Seisho said urgently, "Lord Kubo Sado is a famous general in the Kinai region. He has a very good relationship with the young master of the Miyoshi family and is highly regarded by Lord Kubo. If you say a word, the Yamana family will certainly not dare to ignore it."

"That's probably an overestimation of me," Shinzaburo said with a humble smile. "The Yamana family is a renowned family known throughout the land."

The old monk Qingding wanted to say something more, but he didn't get a chance to speak.

Just then, an envoy arrived with a message: "Bamboo Vine City has been captured. Lord Guangming has conducted a preliminary inventory of the prisoners of war and supplies. Please inspect them!"

Came just in time.

Shinzaburo smiled graciously, then bowed to the monks and said, "Excuse me, I'll be right back!"

Then he left the monks to linger in the tents that were temporarily used as guest rooms and returned to his main camp.

At this time, Shingoro was very busy, issuing instructions constantly while writing and drawing in the ledger.

Seeing this, Shinzaburo waited patiently for a moment before stepping forward to inquire.

Shingoro took a breath and introduced, "The prisoners said that there were originally sixty samurai, two hundred peasant soldiers, and two hundred miscellaneous people in the city. Now, one hundred and eighty people have been killed, one hundred and thirty have surrendered, and the rest have jumped into the river and escaped. Apart from some weapons, there are only two hundred shi of military rations in the city. It seems that the gold, silver and valuables have long been moved away."

Shinzaburo figured that when the castle fell, his soldiers were so focused on rushing inside to claim credit that they neglected the activity along the two small rivers to the north and south, which allowed some men to escape. Such military discipline was difficult to resolve in the 16th century; he could only emphasize it repeatedly in the future and try to be more careful.

Shingoro paused for a moment, then excitedly said that the castle commanders Matsukura and Izumi-no-kami also tried to escape, but were caught by Ino-taro and Tobei, two children of the Kubo family, and killed on the spot.

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo was naturally very pleased.

My brothers are really promising!

But she quickly calmed down and asked, "Was it really their achievement? And had nothing to do with anyone else?"

Shingoro pondered for a moment and said cautiously, "The two of them brought back the head, followed by seven or eight samurai foot soldiers. I haven't had time to ask for details yet."

Shinzaburo grunted in agreement and didn't pursue the matter further. He instructed the officers to arrange for the head inspection, verify the prisoners' identities, and then proceed according to the usual procedures.

Military merits were primarily attributed to those with connections, a phenomenon unavoidable in this era. The enemy generals Matsukura and Izumi-no-kami were likely beaten to death; however, when their heads were taken, others couldn't easily compete with the leaders' relatives.

But the fact that Butaro and Tobei did participate in hand-to-hand combat on the front lines is enough.

……

After a long while, Shinzaburo slowly turned back and said to the monks in a calm tone, "Takefuji Castle has been breached, and the defending general Matsukura Izumi-no-kami has perished."

Two monks immediately uttered a lament, presumably because they had a past relationship with the deceased.

The old monk Seijō said impatiently, "Congratulations to Lord Kubo Sado on your victory! Now that you have captured Takefusa Castle, you have achieved a great victory. Could you please persuade the Yamana clan's army to return to Tajima?"

"Well..." Shinzaburo looked like he hadn't had enough. "The local people of Kumano and Takeno districts are divided into three fortresses to defend. Although Takefuji Castle has been captured, Kizu Castle and Aburake Castle are still holding out. We need to capture at least one more castle, right?"

After a moment's hesitation, the old monk Seijō tentatively said, "Although Lord Kubo Sado's army is incredibly brave and invincible, they are bound to be somewhat exhausted after continuous sieges. What if something goes wrong..."

"Hmm?" Shinzaburo frowned, his face immediately darkening. He said coldly, "Even the 20,000-strong army of Echizen Asakura was defeated by me. What are two small fortresses in Tango?"

"Lord Kubo Sado, please calm your anger!" Despite his unease, the old monk Kiyosada mustered his courage and continued, "What I mean is, if you can get the Yamana family to leave Tango, we will accept whatever their demands. Even if it requires extra money, we can grit our teeth and scrape together another sum. As long as we can be sure it's the last one!"

Shinzaburo stared at the other man without saying a word, his face expressionless, until he saw the man trembling and covered in sweat, then he smiled.

The old monk Qingding became even more flustered.

“Actually, I have a good impression of Buddhism, so there’s no need for Yazen.” Shinzaburo said gently, then lowered his head to think for a moment before finally making a decision: “How about this, for the remaining Kizu Castle and Aburake Castle, if any of you masters can persuade the garrison of either castle to withdraw, then I will immediately send the Yamana family back to Tajima.”

"Withdraw, instead of surrender?" This time, the old monk Qingding was a bit more astute, noticing the subtle difference in wording.

“Yes.” Shinzaburo nodded very solemnly. “The garrison can move to a safe place with their weapons and supplies. I only need an empty castle, and then I will send the main force back to Wakasa. The Yamana family will also leave Tango immediately.”

“Then…please allow this old monk to give it a try.” The old monk Qingding sighed helplessly and agreed.

215 Shinzaburo, a man of his word

After seeing off the Tango monks, Shinzaburo returned to the main tent and ran into Nasa Yamatosuke.

They've come to report on the sea route situation.

Shinzaburo casually remarked to him, "Your assessment of the Tajima soldiers was indeed correct. Sending them to temples and shrines to collect arrow money immediately triggered unrest. This makes many things much easier."

Nasa Yamato laughed and said, "I can't speak for others, but my good friend Shioji Shu (HD) has always been close to the common people and despises monks. Given the chance, he will definitely strike hard. Otherwise, how could a samurai be called a 'mountain bandit'?"

“To be close to the common people but dislike monks? Then he probably doesn’t like merchants either.” Shinzaburo muttered to himself, then glanced at the other side, his words carrying a deeper meaning: “It’s fine now, but if he becomes a retainer of the Kubo family in the future and still maintains his old habits, that would be a bit bad.”

Nasa Yamato was slightly taken aback, then quickly bowed and said in a trembling voice, "If that day ever comes, I will certainly persuade Shioji Shu to defend it."

It seems he understood the veiled criticism.

Shinzaburo is ostensibly assessing Shioji Kagoshi's long-term prospects, but he is actually implying that some of Nasa Yamatosuke's subordinates continue to engage in illegal activities even after being recruited.

If it involves robbing merchants from other countries, then it's no big deal. But if it happens within our own borders, especially if it offends a merchant employed by the Kubo family, then once there is evidence, they will definitely be punished.

There don't seem to be any serious incidents yet, but to nip things in the bud, it's best to give them a proper warning.

Occasionally, Shinzaburo would consider establishing a second naval unit, but he had to give up due to a lack of personnel. In those days, sailing was a very troublesome job, and only pirates and merchants possessed the skills; others had nowhere to learn them.

Pirates can't find more targets for recruitment in the short term, and merchants, with their high incomes, certainly wouldn't want to switch careers and become soldiers.

There's no need to rush this. Yamato Suke's subordinates are already bound by the land, at most forming their own system, so they're unlikely to rebel. Moreover, the ship fees and security deposits for the imperial merchants have now been converted into transport fees, which are distributed uniformly by the magistrate. This is a gentle constraint.

After a moment of silence, Shinzaburo suddenly spoke up: "If we establish a foothold in Tango, I want to set up a naval detachment stationed at Kumihama. Do you have any suitable people under your command?"

“Uh…yes!” Nasa Yamatosuke was only surprised for a moment, and without the slightest hesitation, he quickly said a name: “Sasaki Saburozaemon, he is outstanding in talent and reliable in character. He can command five hundred sailors without any problem.”

Sasaki Saburozaemon...

Shinzaburo recalled that this guy was also a young pirate who came from a fisherman background. He was indeed quite smart and capable, but not so capable as to be worrying. Overall, he still maintained his simple and honest qualities.

The surname was chosen randomly and has nothing to do with a prestigious family.

“That’s him. Formally, we need to make him a direct retainer of the Kubo family.” Shinzaburo approved. “You guys discuss how to divide the money from the imperial merchants’ transport fees, as well as the ship mark money and security materials from others. I won’t interfere.”

"I thank you on his behalf, sir!" Nasa Yamato nodded cheerfully, seemingly without any displeasure, genuinely pleased with his subordinate's progress.

……

Things proceeded smoothly from then on.

Shinzaburo spent seven or eight days conquering the Bamboo Vine Castle, which was defended by 460 men. This was mainly because the disparity in numbers and equipment between the two sides was too great, and the castle's defenses were not strong enough. He did not demonstrate any brilliant command or superb combat skills.

But this was enough to intimidate the people of Tango, whose knowledge was not so broad.

After much persuasion from the Venerable Seijō and other monks, Nomura Kenmono of Yuchi Castle agreed to surrender the stronghold and retreat to his hometown of Kanemaru Castle in exchange for three months of peace.

That means there will be no fighting before this year's autumn harvest.

Shinzaburo kept his promise and allowed the garrison to withdraw with all their weapons and supplies.

They only got an empty city, but the gains were already considerable.

From the initial silver bullet defection tactic, coupled with the occupation of Bamboo Vine Castle and Oil Pond Castle, the land of about 7,000 koku in the northern part of Kumano County was thus under control.

Aside from the three minor powerful families who need to settle down, and some temple and shrine territories that are inconvenient to seize, there should still be a profit margin of around three thousand shi (a unit of dry measure).

Moreover, using this as a base will only make subsequent strategies easier.

Another condition for peace was to persuade the Yamana family to return to Tajima and stop harassing the temples and shrines in Tango.

Shinzaburo had no intention of backing down. He immediately found Yamana Yutaka and said to him, "We have achieved enough in this battle, and it is time to return home."

After hearing this, Yamana Yuuto remained silent.

He used to consider himself a devout Buddhist and was reluctant to harm monks, but after experiencing the benefits, he couldn't turn back.

During this period, Tajima soldiers split up and swept through more than fifty temples and shrines of all sizes in the vicinity, and the money that came into Yamana Yutoyo's hands alone was 240 kan.

Apart from Terunobu Otagaki, who currently controls the Ikuno Silver Mine and doesn't seem to care much, everyone else is extremely excited, and the total amount they've amassed is impossible to calculate.

Many temples and communities have already paid money and obtained "injunctions," yet they are still subjected to nitpicking and repeated extortion.

Yamana Yutaka also understood that doing this was very unethical, but he couldn't help it.

So when he heard about the withdrawal of troops, he was both embarrassed to refuse and somewhat reluctant to agree.

But Shinzaburo knew where this guy's Achilles' heel was, and calmly produced a letter, saying, "Actually, some monks have already gone to Kyoto to appeal to the shogunate about this matter, but they were stopped by my friend and did not reach the court. However, since they have not received a reply for a long time, they will definitely appeal again, and my friend cannot guarantee that he will be stopped every time..."

Yamana Yufeng was startled and quickly explained, "I only wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to send troops to Danhou to unify the power of my family, not for money. The previous actions were all to win the hearts of the soldiers."

"Of course, of course!" Shinzaburo nodded repeatedly with an air of seriousness, indicating his agreement. Then, with a slight smile, he asked, "So, Lord Yamana Kingo, what do you think of the current state of morale among the troops?"

“I think that’s enough,” Yamana Yutaka said, stroking his beard. “After this battle, both the retainers and the soldiers have gained something. It’s probably not so easy for the Shirogakiya family to be manipulated anymore.”

Actually, his idea wasn't wrong.

Leading an army to rob and extort would indeed enhance the prestige of the head of the household.

During the Genpei War, the generals who could make everyone rich were the most popular generals; during the Nanboku-cho period, mastering this skill was enough to build a qualified army.

But now it's the late Warring States period, and a group of samurai who are practically bandits are no match for spears and cannons. The daimyo needs to reform the system and gain a more detailed understanding of the lower ranks.

There's no need for Shinzaburo to explain this to Yamana Yuutoyo.

Even if you explain it, the other person may not understand.

Understanding something doesn't necessarily mean you can do it.

……

Next, Yamana Yutaka announced the withdrawal of troops and return to Tajima Province, which, unsurprisingly, was met with opposition from some of his retainers.

But he said confidently, "Collecting arrows is a normal practice, but some of you have gone too far and may provoke a reprimand from the shogunate! If you don't withdraw your troops, and it triggers a temple and shrine uprising, someone will have to take responsibility!"

The retainers of the Yamana family generally respected the shogunate and lacked the confidence to respond to that statement.

Otagaki Terunobu of Asagi County currently has temporary control of the Ikuno Silver Mine and is not short of money. Moreover, he has just received a courtesy name from Ashikaga Yoshiteru and is now ready to express his loyalty. He immediately expressed his willingness to withdraw.

With such a precedent set, the others could no longer insist and had no choice but to agree to return to Tajima.

On the surface, Yamana Yutaka's prestige seems to have indeed improved.

This at least temporarily suppressed the momentum of "deliberation among key officials".

……

Before the cavalry withdrew, Tadashi Yoshiyoshi visited Shinzaburo alone and made no attempt to conceal his desire to have the honor of meeting Miyoshi Nagayoshi or Miyoshi Yoshioki in the future.

Shinzaburo smiled and told him to work hard, and he would have opportunities.

Meanwhile, Shioji Kagoshi took Nagasawa Yamatosuke out for a drink.

These two individuals can be seen as the catalyst for the Kubo family's later attempts to reach out to Tajima.

……

On the other hand, the monks in northern Tango finally got their wish and praised Shinzaburo for keeping his word, calling him a breath of fresh air in the chaotic Sengoku period.

216 The Clever Enemy and the Foolish Enemy

Including the time for mobilization, marching, and logistics, it took a total of two months. Shinzaburo subdued three small powerful clans and captured two medium-sized fortresses, establishing a foothold in the northern part of Kumano District, Tango Province, before retreating as planned.

Those left to guard the area were Masataka Itsumi's First Squad and Ichikawa Sadaharu's Third Squad. Of all the samurai in Wakasa Province, only they were willing to accept this assignment; the former wanted further advancement, and the latter was grateful for the victory over the Asakura family. Meanwhile, Nasa Yamato-suke's ship captain, Sasaki Saburozaemon, established a naval detachment of two to three hundred men, based at Tango Kumihama.

If conditions are right in the future, after the transfer of the Dan-Sealing technique, these three will be the main leaders.

Transferring to a new post usually means doubling one's knowledge and actions, but leaving one's hometown is definitely inconvenient. Some people are willing, and some are not. There's no need to force it; just guide it according to the circumstances. There is no happiness in forcing things.

Wakasa's peasant soldiers could not stay in Tango for long. Itsumi Masatsune and Ichikawa Sadaharu could only garrison the castle with their respective vassals and followers, along with the three families of Himura, Hirata, and Kuroi who had previously defected, and then mobilize some cannon fodder to help.

What happened to the locals' supposed unity against a common enemy?

That's a matter for the samurai class and wealthy local gentry. Ordinary people, as long as they have rice in their stomachs, don't care about the changing power dynamics on the city walls.

Correspondingly, these old farmers could not provide much combat power. They could only shout a few words in the face of battle to make up for the lack of military rations. When the wind was favorable, they would randomly seize people and capture them. When the wind was unfavorable, they would collapse and flee. They could only serve as auxiliary soldiers.

Therefore, we cannot expect Itsuki Masatsune and Ichikawa Sadaharu to be able to hold out for a long time. If they encounter a counterattack, we will still have to rely on the reinforcements sent from Wakasa.

Speaking of which, didn't Tango Isshiki Yoshimichi lead his main force to fight against Naito Munekatsu's Tanba army? What's the situation now?

Shinzaburo sent someone to inquire, and was somewhat surprised.

Naito Munekatsu initially won but then lost, while Isshiki Yoshimichi made a stunning comeback.

They quickly searched again.