The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 41

Shinzaburo lowered his head and said, "In that case, there's no need to bother building outposts."

"So..." Matsunaga Hisahide leaned forward, asking with interest, "According to Kubo Genban, we should entrust merchants to transport military supplies. But how exactly should we entrust them?"

“This is not difficult,” Shinzaburo replied without hesitation. “Just find a reliable merchant and tell him that for every 900 koku of rice provided in Ejichi Castle, he can get 1,000 koku in Sakai Town. As for how to do it, don’t worry about it.”

"That means the difference of one hundred koku will be paid as compensation." Matsunaga Hisahide's face held an enigmatic expression as he asked, "Was this amount carefully calculated?"

“Yes.” Shinzaburo nodded confidently: “After my calculations, I believe that doing it this way can save a lot of trouble and is more cost-effective than transporting by land. Merchants can also make a slight profit.”

"That's strange." Matsunaga Hisahide feigned doubt, but clearly knew the answer already: "Why is it that our Miyoshi family can't get supplies from the front lines, while merchants can?"

“The front-line town of Echigo is located on the side of the Sanyo Road and is also by the sea. The temples, shrines and merchants in the vicinity must have grain stored up.” Shinzaburo calmly stated his conjecture: “Ordinary merchants may be able to borrow goods in advance by credit. But if the Miyoshi family were to lend rice, it would be a serious matter and would make the nearby temples, shrines and merchants feel uneasy.”

“But the problem is—” Matsunaga Hisahide pressed on, asking a series of questions: “Since the businessman would only make a small profit, why did he take on this business?”

“Some merchants only care about immediate profits, but others have a longer-term vision.” Shinzaburo replied with a smile, “I know a merchant from Sakai named Imai Kanekazu, whose Taoist name is Munehisa. He happens to be staying nearby. Given his character, he would be happy to take on this business. Although he may not be able to complete it on his own, he will certainly be able to persuade many grain merchants to participate!”

“That’s interesting. Not only does Kubo Genban share a similar idea with me, but he has also proposed an additional candidate.” Matsunaga Hisahide relaxed and lay down on the tatami mat, lost in thought. After a long while, he slowly said, “Lord Munehisa will certainly accept it. With his talent, he may indeed be able to accomplish it.”

"So Lord Matsunaga Dansho also knows Lord Munehisa." Shinzaburo finally showed a surprised expression, smiled somewhat awkwardly, and shook his head, saying, "I've gone to all this trouble."

"Lord Munehisa is a very outstanding person! However, he has already embarked on the path of a businessman." Matsunaga Hisahide squinted and said slowly, "But Kubo Genban... seems to be an even more outstanding person."

"I would never dare to be complacent in front of Lord Matsunaga Danjo," Shinzaburo said modestly.

“Hehe…” Matsunaga Hisahide chuckled, then his expression suddenly turned solemn, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and he said solemnly, “The Miyoshi family has no real plans to launch a westward expedition to Harima for the time being, so there is no need to build a military post here. However, in my younger brother’s territory, which is also Kubo Genban’s hometown of Tanba, it is very necessary.”

080 Brave Warriors Beneath the Fortified City

Shinzaburo was not involved in what happened next.

All he knew was that on the third day, the soldiers' food supply returned to normal.

Furthermore, Uozumi Hikoshiro visited the military camp again, bringing sweets and confectionery as gifts, and solemnly stated, "Lord Munehisa asked me to convey his gratitude to you! Lord Kubo Genban helped us secure a great opportunity! Although we didn't make any money as the profits were given to our rice merchants, we certainly made a name for ourselves in front of the Miyoshi family!"

He only said a few words before leaving immediately, saying he still needed to raise more supplies for the army.

Shinzaburo continued to distribute sweets and confectionery to his subordinates to maintain the morale of his soldiers.

Just as he had thought, there were actually quite a few small temples, shrines, and shops near Ejiki Castle that had some grain reserves. However, given the complexity of the domestic politics in Harima, they were hesitant to deal with the Miyoshi family, and the Miyoshi family was unlikely to openly rob these "respectable people."

If a suitable businessman acts as a middleman, some unnecessary trouble can be avoided. However, whether things can be accomplished quickly depends on the businessman's efficiency.

Imai Munehisa's efficiency is clearly very high.

Uozumi Hikoshiro proudly said that they had raised 1,800 koku of rice in just one day, enough to feed an army of 40,000 for eight days.

Therefore, he also received two thousand koku of rice from Sakai Town as payment.

Eight days later, even if the sea route is still not smooth, there will be considerable room to find other ways to transport the goods.

Since Imai Munehisa was not a rice merchant, he had to find other merchants to cooperate with during this process, and all the money went to them. However, he made the Miyoshi family bosses feel that he was reliable and capable, and the business opportunities in the future were endless.

According to Hikoshiro Uozumi, the Miyoshi family originally cast a wide net, making urgent requests to five merchants. However, Munehisa Imai worked tirelessly and completed the task before the other four could.

It feels like these "Sai-cho partners" are about to soar to great heights.

Shinzaburo, having provided assistance in the early stages, will certainly receive an appropriate reward.

Regardless of whether Imai Munehisa is someone who cares about past relationships, Master Meishu's influence always works.

In addition, Matsunaga Hisahide's words, "Tanba needs a military post," kept echoing in my ears.

Although Shinzaburo took the initiative to propose building a military post from Settsu to Harima, he did not expect to implement it in Tanba.

The reason is that Setsu and Harima are both coastal plains, with high land value and low construction costs.

In contrast, Tanba has low land value but high construction costs.

Logically speaking, although the Miyoshi family is powerful, they are not invincible. Their financial resources are always limited, so why waste them in the deep mountains and forests?

However, the current acting head of the Naito family, the guardian of Tanba, Matsunaga Nagayasu, is Matsunaga Hisahide's younger brother.

Everyone has selfish desires.

If Matsunaga Hisahide's faction gains the upper hand in the internal power struggle, it might actually have a chance to secure the budget for managing Tanba.

At this thought, Shinzaburo couldn't help but recall that Matsunaga Magoro had often unintentionally shown his dislike for certain members of the Miyoshi family and their hereditary retainers.

……

After the Miyoshi army arrived at Eshiki Castle in eastern Harima, they remained stationary for several days without making any further advances.

Correspondingly, the Amago clan's 30,000 troops remained stationary at Fukuhara Castle, west of Harima.

The two sides were 70 kilometers apart as the crow flies, and 90 kilometers apart in reality, yet they were exchanging insults from a distance, showing no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation.

The situation unfolded exactly as Shinzaburo had predicted.

After each side goes offline for several days to ensure the other side won't actually attack, they move on to the second phase, targeting smaller factions.

The Miyoshi Army began to divide its forces to surround the stronghold of the Bessho family in Higashi-Harima, while the Amago Army marched towards the territory of the Urakami family in Nishi-Harima.

The Bessho clan had several thousand soldiers at their disposal, making them a formidable force. Moreover, their stronghold, Miki Castle, was extremely well-fortified and could not be taken overnight. Therefore, the Miyoshi clan's strategy was to gradually attack their branch castles and slowly erode their strength.

The target assigned to the Tanba troops was a small town called "Takada Castle," located at the southern end of Mount Tanbu, only half a day's journey from the main camp of Ejikichi Castle.

It is said that only about a hundred people are stationed here, and the defenses are very weak.

However, when Shinzaburo arrived at the destination with his reserve team under the leadership of Matsunaga Nagayori, he saw the situation and wanted to curse.

The so-called "Takada Castle" is a small village built on a hillside, about 150 feet above the ground. It is surrounded by bare cliffs on all sides and guards a narrow valley leading to the heart of the Bessho family's territory. There is only one extremely steep and rugged path, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Looking up from below, one could see two arrow towers guarding the entrance, with dozens of enemy soldiers positioned high above, some holding bows and others carrying small stones.

How should we deploy troops in this situation?

Even the seasoned veteran Matsunaga Nagayori couldn't come up with a good solution, so he could only draw on the ranged troops from various reserve units to form a makeshift square and attempt to provide cover fire. At the same time, he cut down nearby trees and bamboo to make "bamboo bundles" for use.

However, the height difference of 150 feet is simply too great.

Furthermore, the Tanba army lacked high-quality bows and arrows, and had very few arquebuses available.

The hundred arquebusiers we fought against the Hatano family last time were all borrowed from the Kinai region.

After exchanging fire with the enemy above for a long time with little result, their own side continued to suffer casualties.

As for the "bamboo bundle," it was indeed useful, as it could block enemy arrows.

However, the only road was steep and winding, making it quite difficult to walk, and even the strongest person could not carry the "bamboo bundles" uphill.

Matsunaga Nagayori attempted to attack for three days without making any progress, and gradually became anxious.

The Tanba army has mobilized 200 samurai, 1,300 soldiers, and 900 support personnel, totaling 2,400 people. If they are blocked by a mere 100 enemy soldiers, they will lose face.

Therefore, a new military council was convened to discuss the matter.

Shinzaburo's idea was either to mobilize siege equipment or to build high platforms and construct "siege towers" to suppress the enemy; in short, they couldn't act recklessly.

However, when he tentatively mentioned it during the military council, Matsunaga Nagayori immediately shook his head in denial, without explaining why.

That means the conditions definitely don't allow it.

The generals of Tanba discussed the matter for a long time but still could not come up with a good plan. Finally, Matsunaga Nagayori issued an order to recruit brave warriors who dared to climb over the mountain from the flank and rear to launch a surprise attack on the enemy lines.

Shinzaburo was not optimistic about the plan.

The front of "Takada Castle" is already the most suitable path to go up. The other directions are much higher than 150 feet, with an estimated slope of at least 70 degrees. Moreover, there are not many plants on the cliffs, so you can imagine how difficult it is to climb.

However, once the top leaders have made up their minds, those below can only carry them out.

Shinzaburo returned to his reserve unit and relayed Matsunaga Nagayori's orders, not expecting anyone to respond immediately.

Unexpectedly, no sooner had the words left his mouth than Oi Shigeie and Inatomi Shigenobu immediately stood up and raised their hands, vying to be members of the raiding party.

Shinzaburo instinctively tried to dissuade him: "I know you two are exceptionally brave, but the key this time is climbing. If we can't cross the mountain, we won't even have a chance to fight the enemy soldiers."

"After all these years in Tanba, how could I not be used to mountain climbing?" said Shigeie Oi confidently.

Shinzaburo shook his head: "Such a steep mountain peak is rare even in Tanba!"

At this moment, Inatomi Shigenobu shouted loudly, "Lord Genban, you don't know! Since Lady Adou came into our family, it's not convenient for us to drink openly, so we often go to the nearby mountains to drink secretly. In the past two months, we've become quite skilled at it. Even after drinking three or five liters of wine, we can still walk up and down steep slopes as if they were flat ground!"

"Ahem...ahem..." Ooi Shigeie said awkwardly from the side, "It's fine if we don't tell Lord Genban about this..."

Shinzaburo stared at the two drunkards, dumbfounded and at a loss for words.

He turned his head and looked at "Takada Castle" in the mountains. He thought to himself that in the chaotic Warring States period, samurai spent their days wielding swords and spears, just to risk their lives for a chance to stand out.

Therefore, he nodded and said, "I will take you to see His Highness!"

Ooi and Inafu exchanged a glance, burst into laughter, and rubbed their hands together excitedly.

081 Enemy soldiers are willing to pay with their lives.

At this point, the siege position was more than five kilometers from the sea, so there would be no direct, moist sea breeze, but the humidity was still very high.

Especially in early summer.

In the early hours of the morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the tent curtains were covered with countless water droplets, which would gather into streams when wiped away with a hand.

This makes it feel exceptionally hot.

In particular, Shinzaburo was wearing the "Golden Small Red-banded Five-piece Body Armor" and the "Sixteen-span Suspension Armor" given to him by Master Mingzhou. This set of equipment was much heavier than that of ordinary soldiers.

He is now at the level of a centurion and has personal guards, but he is not yet at the point of taking "juniors" on expeditions. No one will serve him with food, clothing, and shelter, so he is naturally not as well off as having a virtuous wife and maids at home.

I was sweating profusely from the heat, but no one offered to fan me or give me water.

However, the temperature was clearly not the most annoying thing for Shinzaburo.

Yesterday evening, Shigeie Oi and Shigenobu Inatomi volunteered to join the raiding party, becoming the first two soldiers in the Tanba army to sign up with Nagayori Matsunaga. The leadership was particularly pleased and gave them verbal praise.

Then other fearless people stepped forward, making up the quota of twenty-nine people.

Clearly, these twenty-nine men did not include any malnourished poor farmers who could not see at night. Therefore, Matsunaga Nagayori decided to have the raiding party quietly set out at dawn, hoping to catch the enemy off guard.

At the same time, he ordered the hatamoto samurai to prepare for a fierce attack should the opportunity arise.

Then Kubo's backup squad had no other missions.

If the raiding party succeeds and causes chaos among the enemy, Matsunaga Nagayori's captain will seize the opportunity to break in, and the hundred or so guards on the mountain will certainly be no match for them.

Conversely, if the raiding party fails to achieve its goal, the peasant soldiers below will be even more helpless and can only watch helplessly.

Shinzaburo was fully armed and dressed neatly, but he was just standing on the sidelines cheering him on.

This means that things are not entirely within our control, which makes it even more frustrating.

There's no need to worry about the overall situation. Even if the entire raiding party is wiped out, the enemy has no chance of breaking through.

However, the lives of his two subordinates were about to be lost.

It should be noted that the raiding party must minimize its metal equipment for easier climbing, wearing only leather armor at most. Although Oi and Inamoto possessed some strength, they were ultimately just mortals.

Shinzaburo subconsciously touched the "Fudo Myo-o Sword" on his helmet, hoping that he would truly be blessed by the gods and Buddhas at this moment.

……

Just as they were anxiously waiting for the results, their former boss, Matsunaga Magoroku, suddenly wandered over again.

He is now the "Taki District Magistrate" of the Naito family, the guardian of Tanba. In this battle, he is in charge of 350 soldiers and 240 logistics personnel from more than 50 villages in Taki District, which can be considered as "high-ranking officer". However, due to the terrain, like Shinzaburo, he has no room to make a difference.

They do have time to chat.

"Xuanfan!" Matsunaga Sunroku greeted him, first expressing his gratitude: "I am still very grateful for your help in dealing with my uncle's test before, although it was quickly exposed."

At this moment, Shinzaburo could only suppress his anxiety and return the greeting, saying, "I should be the one thanking you for taking this opportunity to get to know the world-renowned Lord Danjo."

Matsunaga Sunroku nodded and gave a wry smile, then asked, "How long have you been away from Tanba?"

Without much thought, Shinzaburo replied without hesitation, "It should be twenty-four days. Or twenty-five?"

“It’s twenty-five days.” Matsunaga Magoroku suddenly leaned over and whispered, “Do you remember when Ashida, Adachi, and a few other local lords claimed they didn’t need our support and could fight the Akai clan on their own?”

“Of course I remember,” Shinzaburo shook his head and said, “but I don’t think highly of them.”

“Genban’s prediction was correct.” Matsunaga Sunroku said sadly, “About five days ago, the allied forces of the local people were defeated by the Akai army, and the heads of the Ashida and Adachi families were killed.”

"What a misfortune." Shinzaburo couldn't help but sigh. "Alas, it seems that the situation in Tanba is one of advance followed by retreat. After defeating Hatano, we are about to witness the rise of Akai."

“Yes, they will definitely take this opportunity to expand rapidly.” Matsunaga Magoroku said solemnly with a serious expression, “The heir of the Akai family, Iekiyo, has been severely injured and will not live much longer. But the second son, Naomasa, was brave and unstoppable in this battle.”

These words do match up with my memories from my past life.

Throughout the Koei Tecmo games, Naomasa Akai has always been the most capable warlord in Tanba Province, far surpassing everyone else in the region.

It seems he's indeed a tough opponent.