The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 87

As for Shinzaburo, let's just consider him a man of noble character who doesn't care about personal gains or losses.

162 Back and forth

Shinzaburo always believed that after the Miyoshi army left, Takeda Yoshitomo would launch a counterattack.

Especially after learning about the formidable core figure, Awaya Katsuhisa, from the monk.

However, despite remaining on guard for a long time, no action was taken.

It wasn't until the end of October that Shinzaburo, considering that staying away for too long was detrimental to the cultural development of his family and territory, and that his samurai and foot soldiers were also quite emotional, finally bid farewell to his friends in Wakasa and embarked on his return journey.

Starting from Koseyama Castle near Obama Bay, the journey begins on the first day at Nada-sho Castle, which is newly acquired by the Kawakatsu clan; the second day at Shima Castle, which belongs to the Kawakatsu clan; and the third day at Ōyū Castle, the main castle of the Kubo clan.

The trade route has now been restored, and all the outposts are under the control of our own people, ensuring stability. Therefore, we are constantly accumulating strength.

At this time, the twins Kendojimaru and Nawakichiyo were exactly six months old and developing very healthily. Although they were still unable to understand anything, only knowing how to cry and nurse, their limbs were much larger than when they were born, and their eyebrows and eyes were gradually opening up.

Adou had fully recovered, her once slender and graceful figure now fuller, exuding the charm of a mature woman. If she was an elegant doe before, she was now more like a languid fox. Meanwhile, Chizuru remained a shy and uneasy little rabbit beside her. Of course, being able to make a living as a wet nurse for a wealthy young master also showed that she was a little rabbit with considerable talent in certain areas.

Old Man Kinbei actually managed to get two of his specially arranged maids pregnant one after the other. Meanwhile, his sister Aguri and Katsumasa Ikeda have yet to receive good news.

This is reasonable.

Old Deng didn't have anything specific to do, and he had countless hours and energy to waste every day. The young samurai, on the other hand, had to go to work, and he might not spend much time at home throughout the year.

As for Shingoro's younger brother and Kawakatsu's Ojima, they are still young.

The monk Jingcheng, with a pained expression, came to plead for permission to become a samurai, using "Gokurakuji" as his family name and "Jingcheng" as his given name. The reason was that he had a deep conversation with a kind and pitiful widow during the summer grain harvest, and now the spoils of war were about to be revealed.

In this era, it was not uncommon for monks to have illegitimate children. However, considering the child's mental health and future prospects, Jingcheng decided to take on the responsibilities of the secular world.

The younger sister of Ooi Shigeie and Inatomi Shigenobu also made a success during her summer visit to relatives, and good news is on the horizon.

The results of the alliance between the "Noguchi clan" brought from Kubo Village and the local "Kumada clan" and "Inoue clan" are gradually becoming apparent.

The continuation of the Wu family lineage and the addition of new members are fundamental to its survival and are worthy of celebration.

Unfortunately……

Less than ten days after Shinzaburo returned to Ōmiya Castle, before he could fully relax, he received an urgent report from the north that Awaya Katsuhisa, under the command of Takeda Yoshitaka, had launched a surprise attack on Koseyama Castle at dawn. Aoi, Ōshio, and their men were thrown into chaos, with only a few, including Hongo Kunitada, holding out with Itsumi Masatsune, narrowly escaping defeat. Fortunately, Nasa Yamatosuke arrived in time by sea, leading sailors ashore and launching a flank attack, forcing the enemy to retreat.

Judging from the written account, this battle proved the correctness of recruiting Nagasawa Yamatosuke. However, the fact that many Wakasa samurai behaved so poorly was infuriating.

Unable to stay at home, Shinzaburo had no choice but to leave his warm home once again and head to Koseyama Castle.

At the time, others were reviewing the problems that had been exposed during the operation.

In a tone that suggested he was insensitive and detached from the situation, Takeda Nobutoyo criticized those who crumbled at the first sign of trouble for lacking courage and honor, deeming them unworthy of samurai status and better off committing seppuku.

It would be unwise for the head of the household to say such things, but considering that he was betrayed by his retainers at the beginning of the year, his feelings are not incomprehensible.

Unable to refute, Yi Jianchang could only try his best to smooth things over, saying that they had indeed embarrassed themselves last time, but had now reflected on their actions and would definitely work hard in the future.

He was trying to boost morale, and his direction was correct. However, such empty rhetoric could not truly inspire morale.

Having experienced many battles and met some famous generals, Shinzaburo already had his own understanding. He immediately interrupted the pointless argument and made a decisive judgment: "Talent varies, and ability cannot be forced, but deliberate negligence is a serious crime."

Most people only have a vague understanding.

Shinzaburo explained carefully: "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Even if one is defeated at the first sign of trouble on the battlefield, it is merely a matter of temporary lack of courage and strength, and there is nothing shameful about it. However, a loyal samurai will always try to regroup and return to the battlefield. It is a disqualification for someone to withdraw on their own when they clearly still have the strength to spare."

These words were reasonable and convincing, and all the young lords agreed with them.

Shinzaburo then instructed Takeda Nobuyuki to use the tax revenue collected from Kohama Bay the previous month to reward Itsumi Masatane and Hongo Kunitada with twenty kan each for their calm and collected response, and to reward Nasa Yamatosuke, who skillfully repelled the enemy, with fifty kan.

Takeda Nobutoyo was not entirely willing, but under pressure, he reluctantly complied with a stern face.

As for those who don't perform well, there's no evidence that they intentionally slack off; they can only be advised and reprimanded.

This has somewhat restored the morale of the entire team.

Then comes the principle of reciprocity.

Shinzaburo gathered more than 2,000 troops from the western half of Wakasa Province, mobilized 500 men from his own territory, and sought some assistance from his in-laws, Kawakatsugu. He then marched eastward, invaded the mountains, and attacked Takeda Yoshitsugu's "resistance army".

After prior reconnaissance, they deliberately chose Heluo Mountain City, which has an area of ​​only 500 square meters and is not strategically important or structurally sound, as their entry point.

Shinzaburo deployed his main force in a pincer attack while a small number of detachments blocked reinforcements, actually burying his elite troops in ambush.

Wakasa's military system was relatively backward. Although they knew they needed to recruit more soldiers, they had not yet incorporated wealthy farmers into their ranks as foot soldiers, resulting in a generally low-quality army. Moreover, the locals were probably not very aware of this.

Within three days, another attack occurred in the early hours of the morning.

The Kubo clan's two hundred men guarded a low hill, which, in the dim light, was seen as a weak point by the enemy. However, the fully armored unit, consisting of thirty arquebusiers, thirty archer foot soldiers, and one hundred and forty long-handled foot soldiers, was very strong and remained unmoved.

Itsuki Masatsugu and Nasa Yamatosuke immediately launched an encirclement, attacking from the flanks and defeating the enemy reinforcements, capturing more than ten samurai and over forty armored soldiers.

There was no sign of Takeda Yoshitomo's banner on the battlefield, and the enemy commander looked like Awaya Katsuhisa, which was rather strange.

Then they calmly attacked Korakuyama Castle. After several days of siege, a musket-wielding warrior from the Kubo clan was fortunate enough to shoot and kill the enemy general, Yamagata Daihachiro, causing the defending army to collapse instantly, and thus securing a decisive victory.

Taking advantage of their victory, they pressed on to the nearby Magu Castle. After more than ten days of fierce fighting, the castle lord, Kagawa Sadaifu, shaved his head and surrendered. He was then escorted to Koseyama Castle.

It was already mid-December when Shinzaburo ordered the troops to cease fighting.

After a hard-fought operation, the enemy's main force was eliminated and two small fortresses were captured, which served as a show of force and a morale booster. However, it did not offer much strategic advantage.

Such minor victories require at least five or six consecutive matches before a qualitative change can occur, making the gains from a single victory very limited. Considering the financial, logistical, and human resources required, the cost-effectiveness is extremely low.

If it weren't for maintaining the elusive yet crucial "momentum," Shinzaburo would have preferred to put his heart and soul into planning a grand scheme rather than resorting to foolish methods.

I'm not like Yoshiyuki Miyoshi, who has almost unlimited resources behind him. Can I afford to use such a stupid method?

After assigning personnel to guard the two newly acquired castles, Shinzaburo once again embarked on his journey back to Ogong Castle.

It wasn't because he was particularly attached to his home, but because if the head of the family were not in the main city during the Lunar New Year, it would be a serious incident from both a political and religious perspective, which would cause a lot of rumors and reduce cohesion.

For example, some idle street urchins might gossip: "Why didn't Lord Kubo Genban show up even on New Year's Eve? Is he seriously ill and bedridden, or even dead and his death kept secret?"

These days you can't hold a press conference to refute rumors.

Therefore, unless the war is so intense that one cannot leave, it is better to follow traditional customs.

In contrast, the Wakasa resistance forces led by Takeda Yoshitomo also relied heavily on team building and religious ceremonies, making it highly unlikely that they would launch a war during the year-end or beginning period.

163 The Way to Become the Ruler of a Country

Around the Lunar New Year a year ago, the main theme under the Kubo family's rule was a constant stream of weddings. The "Noguchi clan" brought from their hometown and the local "Kumada clan" and "Inoue clan" formed numerous marriage alliances. Shinzaburo would take time to attend each wedding and have a couple of drinks with the groom.

By the fourth year of the Hongzhi reign, some of the quicker ones had already started having children.

Shinzaburo specifically instructed that a school be built in the relatively empty Sannomaru area of ​​Ōgyu Castle, so that the children with impeccable family backgrounds could learn to read, write, and practice martial arts. His own sword-wielding son, Maru, would also be enrolled there when he turned three or four.

In the long run, it serves to cultivate future talent. In the short term, it can also effectively boost morale. Samurai and foot soldiers are always happy to know that their sons are playing in the mud with their young lord.

Once we've established a firm foothold in Wakasa, we'll definitely continue with this approach, but the current conditions aren't right.

The year-end and New Year's Eve routine proceeded methodically at home.

The original plan was to communicate with Matsunaga Nagayoshi after the New Year to reach a consensus on the follow-up strategy, eliminate differences and misunderstandings, and then go to Wakasa to carry out the work.

Unexpectedly, just as they were about to set off, they suddenly received an urgent report that Hosokawa Ujitsuna and Miyoshi Nagayoshi were discussing important national affairs at Yodoko Castle, and that Kubo Yoshiaki was required to go there immediately to report.

Although I don't quite understand the reason, I can only do as instructed.

Now that the Yamaguni Road has been restored and renamed the Ōyū Road, the journey from the Kubo family to Kyoto is much more convenient than before. The 30-kilometer trip can be completed in a day if you're in a hurry. If you're not in a rush, you can also take a short break at Sugisaka Pass along the way. There's a sentry post there, as well as several small shops, which can basically meet the needs of travelers.

However, Shinzaburo still took a detour westward, more than doubling the distance, specifically to visit Kofuku-ji Temple in the Kameoka Basin. The reason was to consult Master Meishu about the state of affairs so he could better answer the questions posed by his superiors.

The old monk, as expected, was well-informed and said without hesitation, "The relationship between the Miyoshi family and the shogunate has eased somewhat. Lord Kubo seems willing to make some compromises in order to return to Kyoto. But Hosokawa Ukyo... I mean, Lord Hosokawa Ukyo of Kuchikigaya is very displeased and is trying to sabotage the peace talks, which has caused Echizen Asakura to make another move."

The matter is a bit complicated and needs to be explained step by step.

First, the Emperor passed away at the end of the year, the Crown Prince ascended the throne, and the Imperial Court needed to change the era name. As was customary, they had to ask the Shogunate for money again. Given that Ashikaga Yoshiteru, who was in exile in Kuchiki Valley, couldn't come up with the money during the last era name change, Konoe Sakihisa, who was serving as the Kanpaku this time, felt that there was no need to bother. He didn't even inform the Shogun and went directly to Miyoshi Nagayoshi to ask for money.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi was very happy to do so and paid the money without hesitation, assisting the court in changing "Hongzhi" to "Yonglu".

Ashikaga Yoshiteru was furious, hating the imperial court for its favoritism and the Miyoshi family for overstepping their bounds. Unable to mount a strong protest, he wrote a long list of letters to his close daimyo, urging them to continue using the Koji era name and not to recognize the change of era name.

His actions won't achieve much; they'll only make him seem both funny and pathetic.

If the imperial court adopted a new era name for reasons such as praying for blessings or avoiding disasters, there would be an excuse to resist. But now it is indeed the old emperor's turn to live, his body has been cremated, and even his ashes have been buried. It's really hard to justify not allowing him to change the era name.

In addition, an old case was overturned, which also undermined the authority of the Ashikaga Shogun.

The story dates back many years. At that time, the daimyo of Izumo Province, Amago Haruhisa, held a large-scale Buddhist ceremony called "Reciting a Thousand Sutras" and invited a large number of monks to participate. When arranging the seats for the high monks, he deliberately let Kiyomizu-dera Temple of Anrai take their seats first, followed by Ebisu-dera Temple.

This Crocodile-Fuchi Temple is a shrine within Izumo Taisha Shrine, deeply rooted in the local area and historically the elder brother among all the temples and shrines. It was probably because of its immense power that it attracted the daimyo's suppression.

The monks were angry, feeling that their temple, which had always been the main temple in Izumo Province, should not be stripped of its status without cause, so they sent people to Kyoto to petition.

After an investigation, the imperial court, unsure whether he had received money or was involved in other interests, concluded that Amago Haruhisa had done nothing wrong and declared that from then on, Anrai Kiyomizu-dera Temple would be the new first temple in Izumo Province.

It is said that the Crocodile Temple received support from Ashikaga Yoshiteru at the time, but still lost the case.

The monks of Ebisuji Temple were quick-witted; realizing the general was of little use, they immediately turned to Miyoshi Nagayoshi for help. Miyoshi Nagayoshi wrote a letter requesting a retrial. The court dared not delay, and after a month of internal deliberation, decisively overturned the original verdict and ruled in favor of Ebisuji Temple.

Both of these events demonstrate that, due to Ashikaga Yoshiteru's long period of exile and lack of funds and troops, the imperial court's recognition of the Muromachi Shogunate was rapidly declining.

Interestingly, while Ashikaga Yoshiteru appeared furious about this, he actually accelerated his clandestine communication with Miyoshi Nagayoshi, hoping to return to Kyoto.

According to Master Mingzhou, both sides have good intentions, but Hosokawa Harumoto, the former shogunate governor who was overthrown by the Miyoshi family, holds different opinions and is trying to sabotage the peace talks.

The reason is not difficult to understand.

After Ashikaga Yoshiteru returned to Kyoto, he continued to serve as the Shogun, and regardless of his actual power, his position was secure. However, the position of Kanrei (military regent) had already been filled by Hosokawa Ujitsuna. Hosokawa Harumoto could still call himself an exiled Kanrei while in exile, but after returning to Kyoto, he became a retired nobleman.

This then led to the situation in Echizen-Asakura.

Hosokawa Harumoto was both the father-in-law of Asakura Yoshikage and the brother-in-law of Honganji Kennyo. He used this kinship to actively promote reconciliation between the two families.

As is well known, the Asakura family has been in power in Echizen for over a dozen generations, maintaining relative stability internally and possessing a total military strength exceeding 20,000. They were originally capable of gaining considerable influence in Kyoto. However, due to their involvement in the Hokuriku Ikko-ikki for many years, they have remained inactive.

Rumors circulate that there was a minor incident in the middle.

Both sides' leadership expressed a desire for a truce and quickly reached an agreement. However, local hawks acted independently, not only disobeying orders but also killing the envoy sent by Ishiyama Honganji Temple. Subsequently, Honganji Kennyo carried out a brutal internal reorganization, launching a powerful crackdown on the Hokuriku mountain strongholds and forcibly pushing forward the peace negotiation plan.

If the Asakura clan were freed from their shackles, they might be able to march south.

Ashikaga Yoshiteru may then come up with a new idea.

Although the possibility is not very high, if he were to facilitate the alliance between Asakura and Rokkaku, forming an army of 40,000 to 50,000 to march on Kyoto, Miyoshi Nagayoshi would also have a headache.

Even without allying with the Rokkaku, the Asakura family would most likely still oppose the Miyoshi family. Otherwise, after making peace with the Hokuriku Ikko-ikki, they would have no other strategic direction. Although their territory still borders Hida and northern Mino, that area is a barren mountainous region with extremely inconvenient transportation and little value.

In this situation, the importance of Wakasa Province, which borders Echizen Province, greatly increases.

If Asakura were to march on Kyoto, Wakasa would be a potential threat to his supply lines.

If they don't go to Kyoto, then the most likely scenario is that they'll come directly to fight Wakasa.

……

At this point, Shinzaburo suddenly felt immense pressure: "Even if we unify Wakasa Province, our strength is probably still less than one-fifth of Echizen's. How can we possibly be an enemy of Asakura?"

Master Mingzhou comforted him, saying, "There is no need to be overly afraid. If Asakura truly raises the troops of Echizen and his army invades Wakasa, how can the Miyoshi family stand idly by?"

Shinzaburo said with a wry smile, "On the other hand, if Asakura had only sent a detachment, the Miyoshi family might not have sent any reinforcements at all."

Master Mingzhou was taken aback upon hearing this, and scoffed, "If you can't even defeat Asakura's detachment, you shouldn't expect to become the ruler of a country."

Shinzaburo was immediately surprised: "In Wakasa, I am only assisting Takeda Harubu, the legitimate governor. I dare not have any ambitions that I should have so quickly."

Master Mingzhou adopted a confident demeanor: "Originally, it wouldn't have been this fast. But the intervention of the Asakura family might be a good opportunity. When the samurai of Wakasa realize that only the Kubo family can protect them, even if you don't want to be the ruler of a country, you won't be able to."

Shinzaburo was stunned and speechless, shaking his head in doubt: "This is no easy task! Are you so confident, sir?"

Master Mingzhou smiled slightly: "It is indeed not simple, but I believe that Tanba Zhongkui can do it."

164 Arrogant political opinions

After arriving in Kyoto, continue downstream along the Katsura River or Kamo River for more than ten kilometers until you reach the confluence of the rivers, where you will find Yodo Castle, the former residence of Hosokawa Ujitsuna.

It had been a long time since I'd been here, but the nearby fish market was still thriving. The sounds of bargaining and the fishy smell of seafood carried far, showing a unique kind of vitality.

As he passed by, Shinzaburo seemed to hear someone shouting: "The sweetfish, a specialty of Kuwata District in Tanba Province, was just caught yesterday and has been kept in a bucket of water. It's still lively and jumping around!"

I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before.

Shinzaburo then selected a clever attendant and sent him to inquire.

The fishmonger said that thanks to Lord Tanba Zhongkubo's arrival in Kuwata County, merchants were brought in to renovate the Oyuki Street. Now, as long as one is willing to work from dawn till dusk, one can sell fresh sweetfish to the suburban markets of Kyoto.

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo was overjoyed.

The seafood business within the territory has been entrusted to Imai Munehisa, who regularly collects a franchise fee. Given their relationship, it's difficult for them to raise the price anytime soon. However, if the export of sweetfish can be scaled up, it will inevitably drive the overall economic development, and profits will gradually increase.

Next, we entered Yodo-ko Castle and met Hosokawa Ujitsuna, Miyoshi Nagayoshi, and Miyoshi Yoshioki.