novelraw Page 59
Page 59
Although it doesn't seem like very useful information at the moment, Shinzaburo still kept it in mind for the time being.
Next, we finally got to the topic of career planning.
Master Mingzhou said, "Within three to five months, unless Miyoshi Chikuzen personally gives the order, no one will dare to covet the position of magistrate of the new silver mine. However, he previously said he wanted to seize the position of deputy governor of the border region... It's always impossible to have both at the same time."
Shinzaburo made his choice without hesitation: "Silver mines are good, but they are not enough to form the foundation of our family business! In this chaotic Warring States period, the governor of Kyoto may not be as good as the military commander of the border region."
“Hmm…” Master Mingzhou nodded slowly and said, “Thinking about it, the fact that the head of the Echizen Asakura clan has not led troops into battle for many years is probably going to be a disaster in the future. There has never been any change before, only because Lord Zongdi is so talented.”
“I think so too!” Shinzaburo said, “It is inconvenient for me to speak up about the matter of plotting to seize the border region. I can only ask my uncle for help!”
"This matter has made progress. His reputation has been enhanced since returning from the Western Kingdom, so it is only natural that he will be appointed to an important position." Master Mingzhou smiled and said, "You should be very clear about the situation of the Tanba Utsu family, right?"
As a newly recruited samurai in Tanba, Shinzaburo certainly knew this.
The Utsu clan was a formidable separatist force in Kuwata District. Despite being a local lord, they could mobilize over a thousand soldiers. They had maintained a facade of neutrality, but were actually quite close to Hosokawa Harumoto. At the beginning of this year, when Akai Naomasa was at the height of his power, the Utsu clan, persuaded by Miyoshi Masayasu, formed an alliance with Akai Hatano and launched an attack on Funai District.
Matsunaga Nagayori calmly repelled the invasion and even seized some territory in return, but had not yet touched the enemy's core territory.
In addition to the ancestral "Utsu Manor," the core territory of the Utsu family also included "Yamakoku Manor," which was directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court and was illegally occupied by them.
Because the Utsu family was close to Hosokawa Harumoto, the shogunate turned a blind eye to this. Moreover, Ashikaga Yoshiteru himself had also seized Yamashina family lands, and their relationship with the imperial court was not good to begin with.
Previously, a court noble had requested the help of the previous Tanba governor, Naito Kunisada, to restore Yamaguni-so, but that fellow clearly lacked the ability. Now, the request has been passed on to Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Matsunaga Nagayori.
Sanhao Changqing didn't have time to deal with such a trivial matter.
Matsunaga Nagayori wasn't very enthusiastic about this either. His primary targets were Akai in Hikami District and Hatano in Taki District. Sometimes he also had to respond to the orders of the Miyoshi family to fight in various places. He had to mobilize troops every time the farming season was over. How could he have the spare energy to take care of anything else?
Shinzaburo understood immediately: "If we can help the Imperial Court reclaim 'Yamakuni-sou,' then the other territories of the Utsu family can be rightfully taken over. But they can mobilize over a thousand troops; am I capable of dealing with them?"
Master Mingzhou laughed and said, "It's not like I'm asking you to take on a thousand men single-handedly. As long as we spread the word that we'll give up the silver mountain after we occupy the Utsu clan's territory, many people will surely be willing to lend a helping hand."
"I wonder when things will finally settle down?" Shinzaburo couldn't help but ask. "We'll definitely need to resort to force then, so it's best to prepare early."
“Perhaps… it will be better to begin mediation after some time.” Master Mingzhou hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, “The other day, some officials in Luoyang believed that natural disasters and wars had been frequent in recent years and wanted to push for a ‘change of reign title’ to reverse the fortunes.”
It seems true that natural disasters occur frequently.
Speaking of Tamba alone, the year before last was unusually cold and snowy, last year was filled with continuous rain during the autumn harvest, and this year is a little better.
However, Master Mingzhou was definitely not really discussing natural disasters.
Shinzaburo used to be completely baffled by these words, but now that his knowledge had improved, he immediately grasped the meaning behind them and replied, "Since the Jōkyū Rebellion, the Imperial Court has had very little money. According to precedent, the Shogunate should contribute a sum of money for the change of era name."
“That’s right! He has indeed studied the historical anecdotes diligently!” Master Mingzhou said with satisfaction. “However, I’m afraid that Lord Kubo, who is in exile in Kuchiki Valley in Omi Province, is powerless to help. But the steward of Yodoko Castle hopes to persuade the Miyoshi family to donate generously.”
Shinzaburo suddenly realized: "No wonder the court has brought up the matter of the manor being seized again! That's why the monks in the capital have been discussing this matter recently and have no time to pay attention to other things."
Master Mingzhou nodded and said, "Some people think that rashly changing the rules is to forget one's ancestors; others feel that the situation is already like this, and we should act expediently in times of emergency."
Shinzaburo wondered, "Could it be that Hosokawa Ukyo, or even Miyoshi Chikuzen, is stirring things up in an attempt to diminish the Ashikaga Shogun's authority?"
Master Mingzhou gave a meaningful look: "You can't just spout nonsense without any basis."
Shinzaburo could only reply, "I'm not in a hurry. Uncle, it's not too late to continue our previous plans after this matter is settled."
“That’s the only way,” Master Mingzhou sighed. “Actually, the matter of ‘changing the era name’ alone is fine. But there’s another matter to attend to, which I’m afraid will also require my participation. The journey will be even further than that of Echizen.”
Ah, another important person has died?
Shinzaburo casually asked a question, and after hearing Master Meishu's answer, he learned that besides Echizen's Asakura Sōteki, there was another "old friend of the Rinzai sect monk" who had just passed away a few days ago.
It is also the towering white jade pillar and the sea-supporting purple gold beam of a noble and famous family.
This man was a senior member of the Suruga Imagawa family. Born into the Anbara clan, he had taken the Buddhist name "Kuei Shōkiku" and later adopted the Taoist name "Taigen" and the Buddhist name "Shōfu". He was respectfully addressed as "Setssai-sama" by the name of his residence.
Taiyuan Xuezhai!
This esteemed person traveled to Kyoto thirty years ago to study Zen Buddhism and had a period of friendship with Master Mingzhou.
Shinsaburo thought to himself, "My father-in-law's circle of friends is really high-class. He's surrounded by learned scholars and has no dealings with the uncultured."
After a moment's thought, he said, "Then I'll settle down at the Tada copper mine for now. It will be more advantageous for me to move forward or backward as more silver is mined."
Master Mingzhou nodded and said, "Exactly! Although it is said that a silver mine has been discovered, without seeing any real silver, some people will still not believe it."
111 Ask more questions about what you did as a deputy official.
Shinzaburo reminded Master Meishu that he could keep an eye on the fighting between Imagawa and Oda on the border of Owari and Mikawa. The old monk replied that he would take a boat directly to Suruga and wouldn't have the opportunity to pass by the front lines, but he would try to gather intelligence whenever he had the chance.
The next day, after leaving Guangfu Temple, I returned to my home.
It was already mid-to-late October, and the busy farming season was long over. Upon entering Noguchi Township, they saw villagers along the way chopping wood, fishing, or transporting goods, and from afar they exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Kubo Genban is back!"
So before they even reached the door, the whole family, young and old, had already gotten wind of it and came out to greet them.
Ōi Shigeie and Inatomi Shigenobu couldn't wait to ask, "Did Lord Genban really witness the Battle of Itsukushima?" "We heard that tens of thousands of Ōuchi soldiers died in the battle?" "That famous Tao Qingxian died just like that!"
The monk Jingcheng sighed and complained, "This year I brewed wine and sold it for more than 33 strings of cash. I thought I had made a lot of money, but I never expected that you would actually dig up a silver mine in Tada!"
Shingoro's younger brother is still a naive boy of twelve or thirteen, but he can no longer be called a cute little boy. He has not yet shaved his head and taken his first robe, but he has ordered a wu robe with his own "Aoi Rindan" family crest printed on it. He walked over in a proper manner and said in a pretentious and mature tone, "Brother, you have worked hard."
Old Man Jinbingwei looked noticeably better than before, but his legs were still not very convenient, so he leaned on a cane and walked slowly behind. He looked Jinbingwei up and down, nodded slightly, and said very calmly, "No illness or injury, you're fine."
Shinzaburo gave a few perfunctory answers to the retainers' questions, then sent his six attendants to explain. He then led his father and younger brother home.
As a woman, Adou didn't come out to greet him, but waited in the courtyard. Upon seeing him, she asked expectantly, "Has Your Excellency returned to Tanba to take up a post again?"
Shinzaburo could only shake his head with a wry smile: "It's just a family visit. I still have to go back to the Tada Copper Mine to continue my duties as a magistrate in a few days."
Adou's expression froze for a moment, but he forced a smile and said, "That's great! It shows that the adults are highly trusted and that they are indispensable talents in all aspects."
At this moment, Sister A-Li held her sister-in-law's hand tightly, seemingly wanting to say something comforting, but not knowing what to say.
Shinzaburo wasn't sure when he'd be able to work from home stably, so he didn't have much to say for the moment. He simply changed the subject without showing any emotion, looked around, and asked about things at home.
Actually, there aren't that many things worth delving into at home. It's just about the mundane things like food and household chores.
However, Shinzaburo knew that he had to take a serious attitude and inquire about everything.
From the food, clothing, daily necessities, health, and work conditions of their own people, to agriculture, water conservancy, weddings, funerals, land disputes, and accident handling within their territory.
Although listening to the instructions once doesn't offer any particularly meaningful guidance, it simply means everyone should keep working hard. But without this process, it seems irresponsible and inevitably makes those below feel anxious.
Apart from being summoned by Matsunaga Nagayori after the autumn harvest to fight a disastrous battle with negligible results, the affairs within Noguchi Castle were generally under the jurisdiction of Azumi, the principal wife, while the villages outside the castle were mainly governed by Shingoro's younger brother with the assistance of his father, Kinbei.
It looks neat and orderly, without any mess.
The family members were in good physical and mental health, and the servants and guards in the city were in excellent spirits. After the annual tribute was collected, what was due was handed over, and what was retained in the city as "official's share" was sold to merchants for money, and used as reserve rations for the army. Some particularly poor farmers in the vicinity were visited and comforted in the name of the Kubo family. Several civil lawsuits between neighbors were also handled fairly well.
Even the preparation of candied chestnuts was not delayed.
……
The only troublesome thing is that Matsunaga Nagayori recently requested that a second land survey be conducted in Funai County under the name of "Nitta Census".
Out of great respect for Shinzaburo, Yagi Castle did not actually send anyone down to measure the land, but only asked Noguchi Township to complete the application on its own before the end of the year.
Since it's "self-declaration," there's a lot of room for maneuver.
You insist on claiming that no new land has been cultivated in the past two years, so the annual tribute remains the same, and not a single grain of rice is extra, and there's nothing the higher-ups can do about it.
But that would be a bit too much to ask for favors.
There was only a rough survey of the land before, so there's definitely still money to be made. Everyone knows that.
Now, Matsunaga Nagayori, riding the wave of his consecutive victories, is demanding another land survey, making it impossible for the annual tribute amount not to increase.
The question is, by how much?
Adding too little is practically the same as not adding anything at all, and I'm afraid of offending the higher-ups.
Adding too much will only lead to complaints from those below.
Kubo's family was caught in the middle, feeling a bit awkward and uncomfortable.
Shingoro certainly wouldn't dare make a decision on his own, and even Kinbei's father was unsure. But suggesting that Azumi ask Master Mingzhou to resolve the matter would seem like making a mountain out of a molehill.
Shinzaburo pondered for a while, then ordered the leaders of the thirteen villages in Noguchi Township to be summoned so that he could present his decision in person.
Everyone hurriedly set off to spread the word.
An hour later, several representatives from each village arrived and gathered together to await orders.
These were all respected local gentry and wealthy families.
Shinsaburo said to everyone:
Hachiroza of Shimizu Village and Kozaemon of Takeda Village have both risen in rank, serving under Matsunaga Magoroku in Taki District, and have reportedly received new fiefdoms. However, they have retained their local farmland, either entrusted to their families or rented out. Since they are now under Matsunaga Magoroku's command, it is advisable to send someone to Taki District to inquire about the fate of their lands and those of their relatives during this land survey.
Then, the other villages can make adjustments according to the same proportion, taking into account the situation.
This wave is a way to divert hatred.
Regardless of what Matsunaga Magoro said, Shinzaburo was simply going with the flow. Following the leader's nephew, he figured he couldn't afford to suffer any losses or be taken advantage of.
The village representatives were still not entirely satisfied with what they heard, but they had nothing to say.
Two years ago, Matsunaga Magoroku, newly appointed as the governor of Noguchi Township, made quite a few moves. Bringing him out still carries a certain deterrent effect. Compared to the second-generation outsiders, the local Kubo Genban-sama ultimately seems more amiable.
Then, Shinzaburo added that, based on the situation in Kubo Village, if each village was willing to select reliable able-bodied men, register them, and guarantee their response to military service in wartime and their readiness for duty in peacetime, then not only this land survey, but even future land surveys would be negotiable. Moreover, they would have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of "Go-kaku Go-soo" (a high-ranking official position) and would be given priority for promotion.
Representatives from four villages, including Owada Village and Maruyama Village, immediately stood up to speak, saying that their villages had no shortage of people willing to go into battle.
The wealthy and influential people from the other eight villages kept their heads down and remained silent.
Shinzaburo sighed and said, "Some villages have never been very enthusiastic about military service, always just going through the motions. The higher-ups have all noticed, and they're bound to consider increasing the annual tribute. I can't always help stop them. They should reflect on this. Instead of always asking what the magistrate can do for you, ask yourself what you've done for the magistrate?"
At this moment, Otomi, from Kamikawahara Village, blushed and made a self-criticism, saying that he did feel ashamed before Lord Kubo Genban, but the villagers were all honest and simple folks who were not good at fighting and killing, and it was indeed quite difficult for them to cope with military service.
Shinzaburo offered a solution without hesitation: "From now on, whenever there is military service, your village will not need to provide 'juzu' and 'changbing', but only 'xiaohe'. In this way, can you contribute a little more to the annual tribute?"
After hesitating for a long time, Otomi from Kamikawahara Village nodded with a bitter face.
Shinzaburo said with satisfaction, "That's right! If they are unwilling to pay more taxes and provisions, and also unwilling to join the army and fight, then I'm really in a difficult position."
……
After saying these words, a few village representatives returned home in high spirits, while most people went home with heavy hearts.
Shingoro's younger brother hesitated for a long time before stepping forward and saying, "Brother! You were once highly respected by the people in the neighborhood, but what you said today may frighten them."
Shinzaburo laughed and said, "Isn't there Shingoro here too?"
Upon hearing this, Shingoro was taken aback.
Shinzaburo explained, “Next, I will record those who are willing to join the army and fight, and put them in the roster. As for the people in the remaining villages, you need to find a suitable time to go door to door and tell them that I originally planned to greatly increase the annual tribute, but after your hard work and persuasion, I changed my mind and will only increase it slightly.”
112 "Money delivery" must be done in person.
Shinzaburo only stayed at home for three days before packing his bags and setting off for the Tada Copper Mine.
I took the opportunity to visit Matsunaga Nagayori, now known as "Hōunken", at Yagi Castle.
The meeting went smoothly.
Matsunaga Nagayori said something profound: "After Kubo Genban returned from the west, he may have heard something from my elder brother Matsunaga Danjo. But our views are not entirely the same as his. Tanba may not belong to Miyoshi, nor may it belong to Hosokawa, but it certainly belongs to the people of Tanba."
This statement contains a great deal of information.
Upon closer reflection, although Matsunaga Nagayori was not from Tanba, he married the daughter of the Tanba governor's daughter, and the whole family moved to Tanba Yagi Castle and lived there for two years, and it seems that they will continue to live there in the future.
Then, he first served the Miyoshi family, and after becoming the acting head of the Naito family, he can also be considered a retainer of the Hosokawa family.
The implication seems to be that Matsunaga Nagayori now considers himself a Tanba native and will consider the interests of the local people, rather than blindly following the orders of his superiors.
Let alone Hosokawa and Miyoshi, even his own brother Matsunaga Hisahide might not always be on the same page.
Their stance is quite delicate!
The specific meaning seems somewhat clear, yet the more I ponder it, the more confused I become.
……
After another two and a half days' journey, Shinzaburo arrived at the Tada Copper Mine and officially returned to his post.
In fact, preparations for silver mining were progressing very well under Hasegawa Munehito's direction, and there was absolutely no need for an outsider to give unsolicited instructions. However, as a magistrate, it was more appropriate for him to stay in his office unless there were special tasks.
The silver vein was discovered in early August, and it's been almost three months now. The miners have dug two tunnels supported by wooden piles and prepared a smelting house, finally shifting their focus from copper mining to silver mining.
The related expenses have essentially depleted the revenue from selling copper over the past six months.
In other words, both the welfare funds and food allowances for the workers, and the "transportation funds" for Hosokawa Ujitsuna and Miyoshi Nagayoshi, were misappropriated.
But as long as it's effective, nobody, from top to bottom, will have any objections.
The process of mining silver is quite complex.